Timeless Virtues
by PrennCooder
Summary: COMPLETE! Vlad adopted Danny's kids after he told them they were orphans. Vlad told Danny that the kids died. The billionaire then raises them as his own. Now the kids have gotten older and accidentally become part of a war in the ghost zone that's going to change their lives forever. What happens when they find out that their father is the leader of Team Phantom?
1. Chapter 1: Taking Initiative

**Daddy's Little Heroes**

**By PrennCooder**

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**UPDATED 9-3-15: Dani/Danielle is now paired with Kibbon instead of Tucker, and Tucker is paired with Jazz. **

**The main premise here follows Danny's daughter Taylor who starts out being a little spoiled from Vlad's money but over the course of time she grows and becomes the hero she was meant to be. I**** know some of you have been waiting for this one to be reposted here for a while, as it was my most popular story on my old account. Wohoo!**

**If you visit my profile, you can see my timeline of stories, so I shouldn't get any questions about that. Yes I do post them here out of order but meh…it's just what I'm inspired on. Anyways, all OCs used in this will be mine. In case you are wondering about the pairings, ill list them here: DannyxCecelia (3 of course, it is my OTP after all 3), TuckerxJazz, DanixKibbon, DashxPaulina, JohnnyxKitty. Those are not all the pairings but they are the main ones involving the canon characters.**

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**Chapter 1: Taking Initiative**

Thin whisps of mixed grey and white hair blew around, escaping the ponytail of a certain man. Vlad Masters logically surveyed the scene. The year was 2018. One little love tap and two trains collided. _Excellent, the impact was right on schedule_, Vlad smiled, proud of his work. Vlad's arch nemesis was on that train along with his pregnant wife. Vlad only smiled glamorously as he gazed out of the police department window at the train crash he had caused.

Smoke was on the rise. Being a middle-aged billionaire, Vlad was used to seeing his own success in hindsight by now. He had also experienced the annoyance of being foiled many times—always by the same stupid kid. Now that kid had grown up…and had his own children. The certain person—Daniel Fenton, still going by "Danny"—could foil him no longer.

Piles of ash and debris from the small explosion and landed every which way such as in the tops of trees and in the cracks of the cement. Vlad had used his powers—ghost powers, that is—to distract the engineers on the train so that they'd unbeknowedly head for a collision point. Once it was all over, Danny and his family would _finally_ be out of the picture. Gone. Out of Vlad's hair forever and never to come back. Danny was such a pest. He always had to be the "hero". But he was really just a pain.

Vlad flew over to the train then to scope things out in better detail now that things had started to settle after the disaster. He gasped. Danny was still alive! And so was his family, but Danny and his wife were unconscious. _This is not good_, Vlad thought, _but I'll make do. I'll improvise._ _That's all it takes here is a little creative thinking and soon things will be going my way._ In fact, Vlad thought it didn't even matter if Danny was dead or not, because killing him wasn't the ultimate revenge. No, Vlad had thought of a far more vile and evil thing. It was genius! _Spontaneous plans are always better_, Vlad thought to himself, looking down with a sinister expression.

Danny's wife had been in forced labor just before the crash. She had been very pregnant to start off, but the stress from the fear of the crash must have induced it. The product just layed there helplessly and innocently floor next to her. There were two twin babies—a boy and a girl. They had inherited dark brown hair from their mother and sky blue eyes from their father.

Vlad knew in his heart he owed them the mercy of redeeming them. They'd done nothing against him to earn the same fate as…_Danny Phantom_. Vlad took them both in his arms and hushed them down because they were crying. He couldn't risk attention being drawn to him! Waking the other survivors would not be wise. _I need to get out of here, _Vlad mused with the babies in his arms.

Vlad never thought of having kids before, as they disgusted him on many levels, but when he looked at this pair of newborns, he knew couldn't let them have the same demise that he cursed Danny with. That, and, taking Danny's children away forever after he only had a few minutes of his own life to enjoy them was the perfect idea. Danny would be eternally depressed because of it, Vlad believed, and would be unable to be motivated in his hero work. So he wouldn't be a pain anymore. He had his own pain to deal with.

"World famous hero, my foot." Vlad muttered under his breath as he continued walking. Vlad loathed that half-ghost boy ever since he learned the kid had powers. It wasn't right for the son of idiot Jack Fenton to have the same powers that Vlad had. These were Vlad's powers—he had them first! And for ten years before Danny was even born! Danny was just a pathetic copycat! If there was anybody or anything Vlad hated more than Danny, it was Jack. Vlad knew that this whole situation would hurt Jack too, so in a way, he had killed two birds with one stone so to speak. Vlad had been waiting for this day to come for ages.

Jack Fenton was the cause of a terrible accident back in the college days that cost Vlad years of his life where he wasted away in the hospital. Ever since Vlad found out about his own powers, he knew he was destined to do great things. He knew that one day, he'd emerge, but only to find that Jack had stolen the love of his life—Maddie—for his own. Yeah, those were cold and bitter days, and right around the time of the holidays too. So much for holiday cheer.

The new couple went off for a three-week honeymoon, and only five years after being married, Maddie was already pregnant with her and Jack's second child. How pathetic. Vlad's pleasure became mocking them in all their lovey-dovey glory. The worst part was that they didn't even notice…or care, for that matter.

Danny Fenton, also known by his alter ego name of Danny _Phantom_, spent a lot of his adolescent life ruining Vlad's plans. It was Danny who would always put his foot down and stepped in the way of those things. And now Danny was at one of the most vulnerable points his life would bring. Normally an adult wouldn't have to worry if one teenager stood in the way, but this Danny person had never been the standard kid. He was brave, honest, selfless, and he never ever gave up. Not yet, anyways.

Danny currently lie sprawled there on the ground, his chest bleeding from where something hard had hit him in the explosion. He had his arm around Cecelia—he'd protect her with his life, as she often did for him. _Their love for each other is pathetic, just like Jack and Maddie_, Vlad thought. Marriage and family—what a waste of time! Who wanted to spend money on a wife when there were so many exotic realms out there to conquer, right?

_Danny Fenton had to go_. The hatred burned like dry ice in Vlad's ill-stricken mind. Vlad had to make a break for it soon though if he was going to get out of the area before the combustion of the trains procured another flare-up. But so many of the exits were blocked. Vlad only grumbled something in frustration as he started to run, a bit panicked now.

"Who are you? Are you a fireman?" A small voice asked from down below. Vlad was startled at first but then he looked down at the person who had seen him and he just rolled his eyes. Did this day have no end to its surprises?

As if a voice that small could stop the great Vlad Masters! Vlad looked down at a little child who appeared to be no younger than three years old. "My name is not important." The tyrant said hurriedly. "Leave me alone, child." This little urchin had naturally tan skin, very neat, straight pitch black hair and green eyes, and a long face for his age and that same smiling, clueless expression on his face that Danny wore so often. _Oh no_…Vlad thought, _could there be more than just the two I have in my arms? _He didn't even want to know the answer.

"Are you going to rescue us, Mr. Fireman? I'm not hurt from the boom, Mr. Firemen. Oh yes! I am 100% A-okay!" When the kid grinned, the way he smiled was unmistakable. Though the face was young and underdeveloped…he was definitely Danny's kid as well.

Vlad paused a moment to think through his next few moves while the kid kept rambling. Vlad knew that very soon a rescue squad would come in. Above all else, Vlad couldn't be caught as the only conscious adult on the train. That'd look suspicious. Swarming reporters would begin to ask questions. Still, he couldn't believe he had even considered this! "Yes, I'm going to save you." Vlad said flatly, no pity in his voice. He had to make sure he wasn't growing soft.

The little boy stopped rambling and smiled again with a childish vacant look in his eye. Then his eyes wandered downward at Danny who was further away. "What about my mommy and daddy?" The little boy seemed confused.

Vlad didn't account for this in his plan. Hopefully there would be no more of the little rugrats running around. Even if there were, Vlad's patience was in no mind to rescue any more. "I'm afraid their fate is sealed." Vlad said coldly, looking over his shoulder one last time to make sure the two lovers hadn't sprung to consciousness. It was clear the little boy didn't understand what he meant so he restated it again. "They are dead." Vlad put the false statement as bluntly and inconsiderately as he could have. In a way, a part of him actually wanted to make the little boy cry. He was so annoying. He deserved it…for being the son of that guy.

The child felt his father's hand for the last time and wiped his light salty tears in his mother's hair. "I don't wanna go!" The youngster wailed loudly and dramatically.

Vlad let the kid mourn for thirty seconds and then picked him up by the collar. "We have to go…now." Vlad hated it when people made a scene! He had to shut the boy up somehow. "There there." He patted the little back, pretending to empathize. "Come with me now if you want to live. We've no time to waste, my boy!"

Vlad ran them out of the train and into the police department then. He was lucky it was crowded so nobody focused in on him. The whole department was now quite flustered with people trying to help out in the train accident and they wouldn't have noticed Vlad anyways. Now that his plan had succeeded most of the way, what next?

Vlad set the two babies down and the little boy sat next to him on the chair. "I had to get you away from there. I'm sorry that your parents didn't survive." The little boy began to cry and whine in a fit again. But Vlad scooped him up in his arms. "Don't worry. Daddy Vladdy is here." Vlad said. Soon the boy calmed down. "You have to be a strong little soldier, okay?" The little boy nodded. "What's your name, son?"

"Aiden."

"Do you know your last name?" The little boy shook his head. He probably didn't even know what that was. "Your last name is Masters. So your full name is Aiden _Masters_."

"Aiden Masters." The boy repeated, brushing the tears away. He kind of liked the ring to the name because he kept saying it over and over until it was ingrained into his brain.

Later in the day, Vlad was able to adopt all three children with no problem, considering he was a billionaire after all. There was no legal document granting him permission to take the children, so he duplicated himself and overshadowed some people to have them make such a thing so that everything went smoothly. The same day, Vlad then drove the children—who were now _his_ children—homewards. They rode in a very fancy electric blue sports car. Vlad mentally crossed his fingers that nobody would spit up or produce any other assortment of vile secretions while sitting on his expensive vinyl seats. The sort-of family arrived at Vlad's mansion in a timely fashion.

"This is so much bigger than my house!" Aiden observed happily as his new father showed him around. They walked through several long hallways, up and down a winding staircase, and ran across the cleanly polished marble floor. "Wow! Awesome!"

Vlad nodded proudly. In some small corner of his heart he was beginning to enjoy this. He's been living alone far too long. Thirty years too long. "I can get you anything you want."

"You can get me a model race car? And an autographed football helmet?"

"I can get you a _real_ race car. And I'm a big fan of the Green Bay Packers."

"Cool!" Aiden jumped up and down. "Me too!"

_You don't even know what the Green Bay Packers are_, Vlad thought to himself, invoking a laugh. "This'll be a piece of cake." Vlad muttered to himself. See, success will always follow hard work.

That night, Vlad thought that enough hours had passed and Danny and his wife would be wondering where their kids were, if they weren't "dead", that is. Vlad called Danny on his cell phone. Maybe Vlad would get lucky and nobody would answer. Then there'd be no explaining to do. Or not. Vlad had pulled some strings back at the department too, overshadowing people and telling various workers how the three children had died so that the workers would believe it too and there was "proof".

"Ah, hello, Daniel." That voice! It was ageless and timeless, still. "I couldn't help but notice an awful crash on the news because your father told me to turn on the TV to that channel…and to think, your father just called me and he…he said you were in that very crash. Are you alright?"

Danny picked up. "What do you want, Vlad?" He seemed a bit put-out.

"Oh I just wanted to see if you were okay." Vlad replied innocently as he twirled the phone cord around his finger. "It looks terrible from what I'm seeing. I just saw some bodies being taken away on a gurney." Vlad played coy. "Goodness gracious, how horrific it would have been if that was you!"

Danny rolled his eyes, thinking, Vlad would probably laugh if he saw that. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I was a passenger on the train at the time of the crash. And so were my wife and kids. But my wife is fine. We're just going to be spending the night at the hospital until the officers find our kids."

"Are your little ones okay?"

"Why?"

"Because I saw three _little_ scrambled bloody bodies on gurneys get hauled away by men wearing black and grey…"

Danny gasped. "Are you sure it _was_ my kids?" Danny stammered with a breaking voice.

"How many did you have? And how many other kids were on the train?"

"…Three." Danny hesitated. "Leo and Taylor had just been born right before—"

"There weren't any other kids on the train, were there?" Vlad interrupted.

Danny realized that was true once he went back and remembered things in his mind. His heart started racing something horrible. His face got all hot, with fear, anger, and sadness all mixing together furiously. All the other passengers were members of baseball teams heading for some tournament that didn't even get to happen. He hadn't even noticed that until now. Danny was crying now, because real men cried. "Thank you for telling me." He said briskly, and ended the conversation right there. On his end, his voice broke, and it was he who would have to inform Cecelia of the bad news. It killed him a bit to do so.

Vlad looked at the little children. The two babies were on the couch sleeping peacefully. Vlad had to buy some cradles and a changing table for them. He'd have to purchase many new items, honestly. Vlad and Aiden observed the two babies as they stirred in and out of adorably restless slumber. "Whatever shall we name them?" The middle-aged man asked out loud.

"Mom said their names would be Tyler and Leo." Aiden replied. "She talked about them a lot."

"You mean _Taylor_ and Leo." Vlad corrected. "Because one of them is a girl."

Aiden nodded. "That too."

Vlad leaned back, fully appeased with himself and his accomplishments. Ultimately, the last point had gone to Vlad's side. The ongoing game with Danny was over now that his spirit had been broken completely. He'd never get over the death of his kids! In the end, every single variable landed in Vlad's favor. At last he could taste victory!

Vlad watched Aiden run around the house like the crazy, energetic little tyke he was. Vlad wondered if the kids would ever inherit Danny's ghost powers. This child was for certain going to end up doing sports and several of them. Perhaps an early introduction to football movies and games might spark more interest than was already present.

Vlad had his work cut out for him. In his free time, aside from collecting the state's money, he'd lay out the blueprints in his lab for a ghost genetic tester—one that could inform him if any of these three children had ghost DNA. After all, if these kids were to someday acquire powers, Vlad would want to know about it so he could give them a more _proper_ upbringing. The oh-so-special hero's kids were now _Vlad's_ kids, after all.

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**I definitely changed it alot from its original. Aiden was originally bitter and arrogant, while Taylor was spoiled and stuck on herself. In this edit I'm definitely giving them more of Danny's personality which we all know and love. I'd like to think that even though the kids were raised by Danny's arch enemy, Danny's goodness is still somewhere in each of them. That's an important theme I'm definitely going to convey that was missing from the original. Also I made the siblings all slightly dorkier and more likeable in that sense XD**

**Enjoy! Please fave, follow, and review :D check out my other stories too ^_^**


	2. Chapter 2: The Master's Children

**Does anybody actually like reading authors' notes? Or do you just want to get straight to the story?**

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**Chapter 2: The Master's Children **

The children Aiden, Taylor, and Leo grew up strong and healthy. Everything they wanted was only a tear away. All their food was handed to them on a silver platter. Childhood days of exploring the enormous mansion house were not uncommon. They ate, slept, and played in the very lap of luxury. Vlad at first only thought it natural to spoil them to condition them into giving him their devout loyalty, but over time his ambitions changed a little.

He didn't even notice it himself. Or if he did, he immediately denied it at the very core of his being. Sometimes…he spoiled them because he almost wanted them…to have good things. He hated punishing them or taking anything good away from them. He gave and gave and gave. Vlad made sure to keep them rooted in reality though.

To Aiden, Vlad inspired dreams of football, soccer, and basketball. To Taylor, Vlad was a little more lenient. Every once in a while, she would beg him to read her fairytale stories. Eventually he had to discontinue story time because Taylor got too "involved". Vlad feared that Taylor would think the fairytales could happen in real life. He wanted her to be smarter than that, but she really wasn't.

It was the third child that stumped Vlad completely, though. The other two were so easy to figure out and Leo was impossible to predict. His interests were so diverse that Vlad got concerned Leo wouldn't be able to settle on one or two core life hobbies that could carry through into a talent and then a career. Aiden was easy—sports, academics, and people. Taylor loved anything cute and girly, and was very social too. Leo loved people as well, but he had this bad habit of changing his mind and not sticking with things.

Little boys were supposed to like sports, trucks, and cars. Leo liked aliens, Legos, and helicopters. He was a bit immature and still played with toys even while dancing on the teen years coming up soon. Once in a while Vlad would catch the child watching supernatural television shows.

Naturally, Vlad didn't want Leo to be exposed to vampires, werewolves, and ghosts at such an impressionable age. Vlad didn't want Leo to realize they were real, and then start to think aliens were real too. He'd be the laughing stock of his whole school. It was so hard to keep Leo away from the truth sometimes.

One day, Vlad observed Leo intangibly from behind the couch in the room to see what the child thought of the show he wasn't supposed to watch. Taylor entered. "Leo, why you watching that?" She waltzed into the room and grabbed the remote. She switched it to some Barbie fairy movie. Leo just sat there as usual and didn't protest. "I have my dance show on and I wanna watch this before it comes on." She announced. "Let's watch together, okaaaaay?" But when she looked over to the spot where her twin had silently been sitting, he was gone. Her eyes traced the room—he was nowhere to be found. She shrugged it off as she began to dance to her own beat while watching.

_Whew_, Vlad thought to himself, _thank goodness for Taylor_. It hurt Vlad every time he was responsible for spoiling Leo's fun. What was this, a soft spot? Had old Vladdy finally grown up? This fatherly mask that he put on every morning had begun to blur all the lines together. One could say that it was like the missing variable in the equation of life.

Then was when Aiden woke up from his "snooze". Vlad had to be very careful NOT to call it a nap or Aiden would go bezerk. "_I'm too old for naps!_" Aiden said the phrase way too often. Aiden stole the remote from Taylor when he came into the room.

"Hey?" She questioned, dumbfounded.

Aiden selected his favorite channel. "The packers are on, yay!" He jumped up onto the couch.

Taylor pouted. She realized the only way to get her show back was to clobber Aiden, but that wasn't possible for her to do. So she just walked out and went to find something else interesting to do. _It's fun to watch them think_, Vlad thought amusedly. He was amazed at how fast the children learned.

Vlad twitched slightly when he heard the doorbell ring. "Late again, old man." He muttered to himself. Turning intangible again, he straightened his dark red tie as he answered the front door for his guests.

"Vladdy!" An all-too-familiar voice exclaimed with a big grin.

Vlad faked a smile. "Jack! How lovely to see you!" He hugged the large man quickly. "And…Maddie!" Vlad's eyes brightened. He tried to pull the orange-haired woman into a hug, but she shook his hand instead. Not letting go of the hand, Vlad pulled her into the house. "Like the new designs? I came up with them myself."

Maddie's eyes scanned the room. The walls were a dark cream color. The floor was white. There were various tapestries and figurines decorating the place. Overall, the furniture and appliances looked shiny and new. Collectively, the house smelled like the beach. "It's all very…clean." She commented, having nothing left to say.

"It's a beautiful home, old buddy!" Jack chimed. "Here's the dessert you asked for!" He plopped a big mound on the counter island. "Made it myself! 100% chocolate fudge!"

"Fudge," Vlad gagged silently, "How delicious."

Jack took the liberty of gathering silverware and plates. "Let's dig in!" He offered.

"Hold on, Jack." Maddie bent down and came up with a boy in her arms. "Who's this little fella?" She questioned seriously.

Vlad's heart jumped into his throat and the whole world froze for like a millisecond, or so it seemed. If he had been any older, he might have had a heart attack. "I can explain!" The man bust out defensively. Maddie eyed him oddly. Vlad took a deep breath. "That's my adoptive son. There are two more precious little badgers running around here somewhere…" He spun around the house. "Excuse me for a second." Distantly he could be heard calling for Aiden and Taylor.

Maddie was disgusted at first in the very thought of Vlad raising children. What was his angle this time? She had to know. And also, she had to determine for herself if these kids had turned out alright. "Well hello there little one!" Maddie cooed to Leo who squealed in delight. "I bet you must be three years old!"

"Four!" Leo held up two fingers and gave a nervous laugh. "Just kidding!" He held up two more fingers then.

Maddie giggled, though her mind was a total computer inside right now. She had to analyze him and look for any little sign of trouble or deviousness that could have been caused by Vlad. She didn't believe he had it in him to raise children the right way. "Jack, isn't he just the cutest…" She started, but then cut herself off mid-sentence. "Stop eating!" She said. "Vlad hasn't even gotten back yet!"

"What?" The man asked with a mouthful of chocolate. "I'm starving!"

Maddie's eyebrows lowered but she didn't say anything. He always was. So, she let it go. Her attention was diverted from her husband when the man of the house came into her view again. She set Leo down.

Vlad had returned with a cute little girl and another boy. "These are the other two out of three of my little treasures." He introduced. Taylor waved in an excited fashion, almost like a cute little puppy who was eager to meet the new people. Aiden started to smile awkwardly. Noticing this, Vlad quickly clamped his hand over the child's mouth. Knowing the probability of Maddie recognizing her own son's smile reflected in this boy, Vlad couldn't risk it. Aiden looked up at Vlad then, and the hand released. Vlad just laughed. Aiden only looked at the guests in a curious fashion now.

"When did you get them?" Maddie asked with a tone of slight skepticism. Jack continued to gorge himself but she didn't bother to try and stop him. She smiled down at the children. Taylor ran past Aiden and hugged Maddie, which nobody had expected. Taylor usually was friendly with strangers but had sensed something special in Maddie which she just could not ignore. Vlad didn't understand it, and neither did Maddie. Aiden only stared at them, feeling awkward still. He was tempted to run back to the television.

"I'm Maddie Fenton. I'm your daddy's old college friend. And this," She nodded to her round husband, "Is Jack." She introduced to the three kids.

Aiden fearlessly approached the man that was three times his height and four times as wide. He remained silent as Jack smiled down at him. "Hello there, kid."

Aiden poked Jack in the belly and giggled to himself. "Pudge." Jack didn't take offense to it, even though it caused the twins to laugh. Vlad laughed awkwardly then, but one look from Maddie made him stop.

Vlad chuckled a bit, and then stifled it. "Watch it…" He picked him up. "You know you're not supposed to say things like that. Apologize to Uncle Jack."

Aiden sighed. "Sorry." He didn't make eye contact.

Every year, Jack and Maddie came over to celebrate the holidays with Vlad since he was alone and so were they. At least, they _thought_ Vlad was alone. Vlad let the children stay with a sitter for that time because he liked to keep to himself around the holidays. And he would be so embarrassed if his friends knew he had children. It had taken him these four years to finally get over himself. Christmas with the kids couldn't be that bad after all.

Vlad made sure the kids shut off everything they had been using because it was almost time for dinner. Another person rang the doorbell as the adults set things up. Vlad sighed in annoyance, wondering who it could be. He looked through the little peephole at top. He didn't see a single face. He sighed and opened the door, thinking perhaps a solicitor had left something despite the huge "No Soliciting" signs out there. To Vlad's surprise, it was not a solicitor there but a little boy. Vlad didn't even have time to react to the six-year-old because he ran into the house immediately. Vlad's eyes followed the child as he ran over to Aiden.

"Hiya! Hope you don't mind that I dropped in. Big house—great! I love it! Where're all these real sports equipment things you keep telling me about? And ooh, the big screen TV? Gotta show me that too." The kid started rambling in almost a hyper fashion. He had been thinking about what to say the whole way here in the cold. The cheeks of his tanned skin were rosy and he was still panting from having run most of the way to the house. Aiden looked just as shocked as Vlad did that this person had shown up.

"What are you doing in my house?!" Vlad demanded as he finally caught up to the boy. "Who are you, even?!"

The child flashed a big toothy smile and laughed nervously. He didn't like those scary beady eyes peering down at him. "Heh heh, I'm Harley, don't you know? I'm Aiden's best friend! Every year around this time, he stayed in the house next to mine and we played for hours and hours and he always bragged about his big house filled with all kinds of great stuff. I thought the one year he came here I would come and see it. Finally I found the address."

Vlad exhaled quickly. "Your parents just let you run out like this?"

"Well yeah. I told them I was going over to a friend's house. And it's snowing cats and dogs out there so if I were you, I wouldn't try to send me home, heh heh."

Vlad looked out the window and frowned. The little brat was right. "The expression is it's _raining_ cats and…" When he looked back down, neither Aiden nor Harley were there. Aiden ran around the room in excitement.

"This is great! It's the best Christmas present ever!" Aiden exclaimed, looking around for the twins. He told Leo the news that Harley was going to stay. But it had seemed Taylor had already found Harley and wasted no time in giving him her typical huggy greeting. He smiled happily as chaos died down.

Vlad got out silverware and a set of plates for the extra guest. The table was all set and ready. For the children, this was their favorite holiday dinner yet. Even though Christmas was still a week away, they all imagined this day as Christmas in their minds. The food would be out shortly. Harley would make use of one of the many empty seats. "So," Vlad started as he instructed everyone where to sit down, "Ever get any texts or calls from…Danny?"

Instantaneously the holiday cheer vanished from Jack's and Maddie's once happy faces. The kids didn't understand, but Jack seemed all forlorn and defeated. Maddie winced as if she were fighting to hold back a hurricane of emotions. Vlad sneered a bit as he pulled out the pot roast from the slow-cooker. He knew _exactly_ what the answer would be.

It was almost as if those people—Danny, Cecelia, Jasmine, Danielle, Kibbon, Tucker, and their other comrades—had fallen off the face of the earth years ago. In fact that phone conversation Vlad had with Danny after the train crash was the last time he ever heard his voice. They hadn't met face to face in a long time. Jack pretended like he wasn't as bummed out as he really was. "Golly, it's been what…two years now?"

"Three." Maddie corrected softly.

"Yeah. Three years since we've heard anything from any of our kids." Jack stated. "No emails, no phone calls, nothing."

_You're not fooling anybody with that smile, Jack_, Vlad thought. "They're all paired off now, correct?"

"Yes, Jazz married that that successful technology investor, the Tucker fellow." Jack mentioned. "Tucker Foley. He was one of Danny's best friends, if not _the_ best."

"And Dani?" Vlad questioned. The children tried to follow the adults' conversation but got bored easy. Harley being here was the best surprise to them ever and so they quickly started their own conversations as they ate.

"Danielle married Kibbon Clevely." Jack said. "Another of Danny's close friends."

"I knew that." Vlad said. "That they were best friends, I mean." Vlad looked Jack in the eye. He knew exactly how the fellow worked. He knew he could just keep stringing him along. Jack wasn't clever enough to see that this was revenge for all the years he had Maddie…and all the years Vlad had spent alone. "And what happened to Danny, hm? Your _favorite_?"

Jack's lower lip quivered. And it _wasn't_ because Aiden was eating all the fudge. Jack used to say Jazz was his favorite, but in years recent, it had changed to Danny. "He seemed to have it all together…beautiful wife…and a little baby. Golly, I don't even remember the child's face. I only saw him once. We don't speak their names."

A chorus of laughter from the four children at the other end of the table distracted them all from their talk for a second. "You talk about them like they're all dead." Vlad mentioned coyly. Jack didn't know how to respond to that. He was silent then, and didn't even eat.

Maddie put her silverware down. "Enough with this talk." She stood up. "It's the holidays! Let's say a quick prayer before the meal. Stop eating, everyone. Let's thank God for each other and for all the good things we have in life. Stop focusing on the bad things. Its Christmas time, for goodness' sake!"

"Children, fold your hands." Vlad said and they obeyed.

"You're a good father, Vladdy." Jack mumbled. "I don't know where _I_ went wrong…"


	3. Chapter 3: Everything Starts Somewhere

**Chapter 3: Everything Starts Somewhere **

They thought he couldn't do it…that Vlad Masters could never raise three good kids. But Jack and Maddie were soon proven wrong. They visited less and less but that didn't stop Vlad from rubbing it in their faces just how much his adoptive children had accomplished with the skills he inspired in them. There was no way to deny it or even look around it—Vlad had raised three kids who were undeniably and unforgettably…_good_.

Taylor's day had been so perfect—beginning bright and early with the morning strawberry waffle to the tranquil yoga routine to ballet stretches—it felt good to let out all the stress. Since she was a morning person, she was at her prime at the start of a day. _What a full year, _Taylor thought to herself, _how do I even manage it all?_ Year after year, Taylor's life kept getting better. Some part of her wished she could stay in the eighth grade forever.

After all, not even high school could top this past year. Er, maybe varsity cheer could. Taylor could only dream of being on that squad and eventually becoming captain in her eleventh or twelfth grade year. It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon when the young pretty girl spent time relaxing on a pink towel by the calm poolside. She had convinced herself she was far too pale to be seen out in public at this time of year and her father—Vlad Masters—had let her stay home from school to get a tan.

Soon enough, she would be back at school to show off her freshly pampered self to her classmates and her fellow girly girl BFF who was always so pale. Being in the A-Lister crowd was SO not overrated. Taylor couldn't thank her adoptive father enough for having spoiled her like a princess as a child because who could say no to daddy's little girl? Thankfully Taylor's nature was not that of a brat.

She could have taken advantage of her dad way more than she did, but something inside of her told her not to. She was not meant to be that kind of person. Now as Taylor's teenhood had begun, she had many skills such as dance, gymnastics, and cheer that most kids her age did not have. She was lucky her dad got her into it while young so that her love for it could only grow over time.

Taylor became part of the popular crowd quickly and had made many friends. She had a huge interest in anime and eastern music but it was kind of her darkest secret. Her former darkest secret was her childhood crush on Harley Longstrom, but that was old news. Since only a limited number of people knew about that, Taylor didn't bother bringing it up.

The end of junior high was getting closer to its final conclusion with every passing moment. One of these days soon Taylor would have to go to high school and start from the bottom of the totem pole. Taylor was the kind of girl who never had any trouble working her way up though—she always had a way with people. It was sort of in her blood. The time passed quickly and soon her peaceful moments came to an end. School was over for the day and that could only mean her brothers would be home soon.

Aiden Masters was a junior in high school. He had it all—the friends, the grades, and the varsity letter. And it was all thanks to dad's money that he had the social skills and the sports skills. He always thought himself to be sort of awkward on the inside, but people tended to like him in spite of that so he never brought it up. Every so often though, he would get himself into an awkward situation for which there was no explaining away.

Aiden definitely acknowledged how much his dad supported him even when he was young and clumsy. Money was one of the very few constants in Aiden's life. Aiden knew he'd be able to get into any college he wanted because money was no problem. So many children could only dream of becoming sports stars. Aiden was going to make his dream a reality, as it was within his reach. For now he just had to keep freewheeling through school. With his good grades, he could accomplish anything.

Aiden drove home that day from school in his car. He offered to take his brother home, but Leo had refused because he preferred to walk. Aiden couldn't wait to get his afternoon swim over with, finish up something for school, and then meet up with some of his best friends. Jarred and Raven were in his class and Harley in the grade below.

Raven was the high school's current head cheerleader and Jarred and Harley did sports as well. Aiden loved to spend time with them, but sometimes he put grades ahead of them. He felt guilty about it, but then again, that was his life. He might have looked like a hot jock guy, but underneath that front he was really just a bit of a dork. Only his friends knew that though. If anyone else figured it out, he believed he'd be done for.

Taylor opened a lazy eye. From upside down she saw her older brother walking over to the pool in his white swim trunks. "Good afternoon." She greeted politely.

"How was your day?" Aiden asked his sister with a smile. Afterwards, he dove with a loud splash into the pool. Luckily, he knew how to make a neat splash so it did not soak Taylor. She didn't even flinch.

The girl flipped her dark brown eye-grazing bangs in a most bodacious way. "Oh it was lovely, brother dear."

"Fantastic. How nice it must be to spend an entire day doing absolutely nothing."

As usual, Taylor couldn't sense the sarcasm in his voice. "I know, right?"

He only laughed as he popped his head up out of the water. "Clueless…" He remarked, but she didn't hear.

"How was your day?" She asked with a cheerful smile.

"Well Jarred managed to talk the class out of taking a pop quiz. And Raven, she finished knitting that scarf for me. She made it as red as my varsity letterman jacket. I'm really happy. She's such a sweetie, you know?"

"Isn't it great to have friends?"

"Yeah." Aiden replied, taking a deep breath. He proceeded to swim a few laps around, enjoying the daylight while he still could.

"What about…" Taylor started, but she spoke too quietly for Aiden to hear. She was going to ask about Harley, but that might open up an unwanted can of worms. "Never mind." She ended her own conversation. Now she just had to wait for Leo to get home so she could focus on something other than pampering and hot guys for a change.

But knowing Leo, he'd probably find his own way home and take a while before he was caught at least. Taylor understood why her dad was so protective of them and didn't like them to walk home from school because they were the children of a billionaire after all, but honestly sometimes Taylor wished Leo would get away with it. Just once. She knew he could use some time alone.

Unlike his brother and sister, Leo Masters wasn't a social stud. He was a complete dork, and there was nothing "cool" about him that he could use to hide his dorkiness like his siblings did. He long ago assumed that it was just inherent from one of his real parents or whatever, but then again he would never know for sure, since he was adopted.

Either way, he was kind of doomed with it. Like most of the things about himself he considered flaws, he shrugged it off and just carried on. Leo was just beginning to hit puberty, so his voice cracked every so often. He had been told for years that people really shined in their individuality at the age of thirteen, but Leo hadn't hit his peak yet. At least none that he could see. At school, people liked him, but he didn't seek out popularity like his siblings seemed to. They wanted to make the most out of their lives and he did too, but he went about it in a different way.

He also knew he tended to be a bit gullible and trusting, so for his own good he avoided the limelight also, thinking it wouldn't be good for him. Leo had his own little circle of friends and that's all that he needed. Well it was pretty much just his one best friend. In classes, Leo would sit at his neon green laptop all day doing some research on something dumb like aliens or mainstream action movies. Then at home, he'd switch to his computer through one of his many complicated technology wire systems.

Sometimes he'd spend one or two or…_five_ hours making video games. Not playing them—because that'd be a total waste of time, and he wasn't that species of dork. CREATING them was great. Leo always dreamed of adventure and that was his way of finding it. It was the only tangible connection to all his weird paranormal fantasies. Just by his cute looks, nobody would guess that he had such geeky interests. He knew childhood was ending shortly and he wanted to get his last laughs in before it was over forever. He didn't really want to grow up.

Vlad would never say it out loud but he honestly thought his money was a huge waste with Leo. Leo never did anything with his allowance except buy the occasional technology item. He just let it build up and up and up! He _saved_ it like a lame-o. To Vlad, "saving" money might as well be "throwing away" money. Leo didn't need it; he wasn't as quickly deceived by things put in front of him as his brother and sister were.

At around three o'clock, a limo had been dispatched from the mansion to retrieve Leo. The driver was timely, but it took him awhile to find Leo when he didn't wait to be picked up. There was a rule in the family that if the limo was tardy, the kids had the power to give the driver the sack. Leo had told his dad many times that he enjoyed walking home from school but Vlad didn't want him to. Vlad didn't think it was safe. He only wanted to protect Leo. Leo could only sigh and comply. He got in the limo and arrived at the mansion quickly. He figured maybe Vlad would finally listen tomorrow, if Leo brought it up again.

After swimming to his heart's content, Aiden went inside the house to take his shower. Then he settled in front of his computer in the den on the first floor to partake in his guilty pleasure—typing extra credit school papers. Every month, Mr. Lancer assigned one, and Aiden was pretty much the only kid in class that did them obsessively. Aiden was all about grades and sports. He was the ideal son that any parent would be proud of.

All three years of high school so far Aiden had been at the top of the class and a great football player. He was very well-respected by students and teachers, especially the guys on the football team. Aiden was a bit of a highschool legend actually. As long as he kept that up and made Vlad proud of him, Vlad let him have alot of freedom. So hopefully if Aiden finished quickly enough, Vlad wouldn't mind if he went out on a last-minute late-night get-together with a small group of friends, right?

Aiden had to hope for the best, and the best was what he usually got. He wondered what kind of luck had gotten him this far though, and sometimes even imagined what kind of a loser he would have wound up being if he hadn't been adopted by Vlad Masters. Then Aiden quickly shook that thought away, as it was scary to him.

After a long day of happily pampering herself, Taylor wound up on the couch filing her nails. The pool got too cold for her delicate skin in the later evening. Taylor's phone vibrated on the arm rest beside her, signaling a call coming in. When Taylor read the name of her bestie, she answered immediately with a grin on her face. "Hey Karmen!"

"Hey girl!" A perky voice chimed in response. "Wassup? Why weren't you in school today? The other girls on the squad were totally worried about you! You aren't sick, are ya?"

"Gosh, no. I just needed my beauty rest and a tan, that's all." Taylor replied with a light laugh.

"It is?" Karmen asked cluelessly.

"Okay, okay, and I seriously needed a nail makeover!" Taylor added.

"Alright, now I understand." Karmen laughed too.

"Thanks for calling! It was very thoughtful of you. You're the best BFF ever, Karmen!"

"Cha-ching!"

"I dunno what I'd do without you. You're my soul sister forever."

"Aw, thanks." Karmen said. Then her tone quickly changed from peppy to something more serious. This happened a lot, but Taylor was too oblivious to pick up on it as anything more than part of Karmen's personality. Taylor never even imagined what Karmen's home life could be like. "I gotta go to dinner. You'll be in school tomorrow, right? And maybe Harley will check you out, you think?"

Taylor just face palmed, blushing a little. "Oh, not that, Karmen…let's talk about anything but that, okay? I'm totally over him. TOTALLY."

Karmen laughed again. "Oh you are so not!"

"See you tomorrow." Taylor said as she hung up. She put the phone away. The quietness remaining in the large-roomed home reminded her of her father who she knew she couldn't disappoint. She have made it seem like she was the princess of her junior high and that her rich daddy would let her get away with anything, but…the truth was that she really cared about her grades too.

Taylor wanted to succeed but she never had the stick-to-itiveness that Aiden had. She couldn't focus, and often found herself coming to her brothers for help when she was lost. It happened a lot. Of course she had taken today's schoolwork home the day before so she could work on it later. But like most teens did, she procrastinated because she couldn't concentrate. Her real plan was to bug Leo about it later, that is, after she got the dish from him about their class. There was always some kind of drama going on in their grade.

Even if Leo didn't participate, he couldn't help but listen. Also, the middle school building connected with the high school, so Taylor was bound to ask about the high school drama as well. In between class changes and especially during lunch periods, middle schoolers and high schoolers mixed. Taylor herself was even friends with some of Aiden's friends. It was Leo's friends who were always mysteriously out of the picture—he rarely mentioned them.


	4. Chapter 4: They Walk Among Us

**Chapter 4: They Walk Among Us **

Taylor knew the sound of the limo tires pulling up on their white stone driveway all too well. Leo had arrived, judging by the quick opening and closing of the front door. Taylor saw him out in the front room, as if it wasn't proof enough. She remained in the family room as she waited for him to unpack and slip into some more comfortable clothes. A man walked in after him. It was obviously their limo driver. Leo never forgot to thank him for driving, even if he did not want to be driven.

Every time Taylor heard Leo thank him, Taylor got frustrated with herself. She always wanted to do that but she forgot. It didn't come to mind until after. The man had explicitly come to speak to Vlad about Leo walking off on his own again. It was then that Taylor overheard Aiden say something from out of sight. Aiden mentioned how Vlad was in his office and it was best not to bother him. The man left immediately and Leo went upstairs with his backpack.

To pass the time while she waited for Leo to come down, Taylor began to play some fast-paced K-pop music on her phone. For some reason, music always made her feel alive and happy. More happy than usual, that is. The foreign sound kind of inspired her fancy in a strange way too. Her face showed it, but she'd never admit it to others.

At the same time though, the music relaxed her so she could think more clearly. There was something deep inside this girl's core that made her crave adventure. The music kind of made her feel like she was in it, or at least she could imagine it after watching so many animes. The ending would always be happy, and she would always get to be close to some kind of hero. Then again, that was kind of every young girl's dream—the kind of dream that faded over time when it never could become reality. For now, she only had the extents of her own mind to create these fantasies.

As much as she loved school, Taylor believed she was destined for something…greater. That was the thing that drove her. Nobody could ever find it out that she really just wanted to live. She'd lose all her classy appeal, right? To everyone else, Taylor appeared to have everything and be on top of the world. She had achieved the happiness so many other kids spent their whole teenhood chasing after. So what if she was happy though, if she only lived for herself? There was no fulfillment in that, and no point of doing it.

When the song was over, she turned off the music and flounced upstairs to Leo's bedroom thinking she had given him enough time to change. Sure enough, when she walked in, he was already at his computer wearing a dorky alien convention tee shirt and baggy plaid pajama pants. He turned around with a big grin on his face when he saw his twin. She could only laugh at that as she wondered what he was about to tell her.

"Taylor, you'll never guess what happened today." Leo said, standing up. He liked to use his hands when he talked. He put his glasses in his pajama pants then.

"What is it?" Taylor asked her other half curiously.

"There are two new students and one of them's in our grade. They just moved here from up north. Actually, they used to live here a long time ago and one of them I knew very well. It was my old best friend—my first best friend ever. I don't think you'll remember him because you never met him, but—"

"Leo, you're rambling again." Taylor mentioned with a light laugh.

"Sorry. Um anyway, Lolito has really obnoxious red hair. And I mean that in a good way. He's a quiet, calm person in the ninth grade. Casey's a real swell guy and he believes in ghosts, aliens and werewolves just as much as I do. He's the one kid whose house I used to visit in early elementary school. His family offered to take Lolito in when his mother gave him up. It might sound like a sad thing but Lolito is a happy, content kind of guy. You'd never think anything went wrong in his life. Cool names, too, don't cha think?"

Taylor swooshed her hair to one side, so that it rested flatteringly on her neck. "Interesting." She mused. "For now, that's all I can say."

"You'll stick with me tomorrow and meet them right?"

"I guess." Taylor shrugged. "Unless they're like…losers. If that's the case, then I won't be caught dead with them."

"They can't be all bad." He elbowed her. "They hang with _me_."

She smiled. "Riiight." She took a seat in his green alien beanbag chair in the corner of the dimly lit room. He sat down again at his computer, but still faced her. He rummaged through the backpack that was beside him on the floor and tossed Taylor a bag of her favorite kind of chips. "Awesome! Thanks!" She said as she began to munch.

"I'll warn you about Casey—he is a bit of a pessimist. I mean, his parents were supposedly sports legends and he only thinks of his last name Baxter as a burden since he is quite a clumsy nerd. Apparently a lot of kids teased him about it. I feel bad for saying this out loud but I kind of wish dad was young enough to have been in high school with the Baxters. Then maybe he could tell us about them. Casey gets mad whenever I bring it up."

Taylor sighed. "Well maybe making some more friends in his new-old town will help cheer him up!" She said in her usually peppy voice.

"I'll try, but Casey seems kind of antisocial. At least he has Lolito. Speaking of Lolito, I saw him at Harley's table at lunch. Maybe they'll become friends."

Taylor gasped loudly. "Do you know what this means?"

Leo blinked twice. "No not really."

"I'm going to school tomorrow!" Taylor stood up dramatically and pointed to the air like those silly superheroes in comics did. She smiled at Leo. "And I'll be wearing that cute pink dress I have and my new sandals. And it will all look great with my flawless skin and my freshly manicured nails, see?" Taylor put her nails in her brother's face. That was one of the better things about Leo—there was no scaring him away. He could be just as crazy as she was. He did it in his own way, but only when nobody else was around. "Haha, you just reminded me of Harley, that's why."

Leo shook his head. "So you DO still have a thing for him? I can never keep track. But don't blame me; your words and your feelings and your desires don't always match up."

"I know." Taylor said, reflecting the big grin that Leo wore earlier. She gripped his shoulders and stared into his eyes. "This is going to be great. Tomorrow, I'm going to pretend I'm going up to introduce myself to Lolito, but I'll really use that as an opening for a conversation with Harley. It's brilliant, I tell you, brilliant! Haha!" Leo could only facepalm as his sister walked out of there. She was probably going to share her harebrained scheme with Aiden or something. Leo knew his sister could be a bit obnoxious with her fangirl crushes on guys, but he found it amusing too.

For the rest of the night, it would be just Leo and his computer. One of those moments came in the night when Leo curled up in front of his laptop with the bedroom lights off watching his favorite show, _Believe It Or Not_. Leo was one of those spectators that talked to the television characters as if they could hear him. Then after that, he would watch something noir. Anything noir was good.

The next morning, Taylor put her pin-straight brown hair in a side ponytail. Every one of her bangs was in place. Her cerulean eye shadow matched her eyes perfectly just like her open-toed "summer" shoes. And the pink dress and nails were the highlight of the outfit. She looked totally cute—and that was what she aimed for.

Leo wore a blue jacket concealing a neon orange shirt with black stars all or it in a strange graphic. He had the zipper of the jacket up all the way because that was just his style. His pants were green skinny jeans from American Eagle. They were the kind he would wear on a fishing trip…if he ever went fishing. For now, high school was close enough. In fact they were not that different from each other. Both scenarios involved Leo being separated from a group of beings of lesser intelligence.

Aiden had already set off for school as he wanted to arrive early and in style. As for Taylor and Leo, they boarded the limo just like they would a bus. It was always awkward sitting in the back of such a big vehicle together. Leo was about to make some comment about how so much of the space in the limo just went wasted but Taylor decided to talk instead.

"Ugh. Yeah, I forgot it was _this_ school. I don't even remember why we moved to Amity Park when we loved it in Wisconsin. Oh yeah…the cold. I hated that cold winter. So in the long run it is better here now." Taylor looked at the sign to the school. "Casper Junior High. Conveniently connected to Casper High."

"Dad said the moving trip had something to do with business." Leo guessed. "And besides, we were only in Wisconsin for a year and a half."

"If that's so, then why are we here? I was _so_ looking forward to visiting Watson University when I turned eighteen."

"That's an all boys' school."

Taylor laughed. "Hehe, I know!"

"Here we are, Mr. and Miss Masters." The limo driver announced. "Your departure time is at hand. Have an excellent day."

"Actually, for future reference, I prefer _Ms. _Masters." Taylor pointed out in her snootiest tone. She couldn't keep that serious face for long so she and Leo quickly burst into laughter about it.

The driver nodded, but when they weren't looking, he rolled his eyes. They were almost fourteen but, he wondered if it was even possible for them to get serious about life in general before they started getting trained by their father to take over his companies some day. The twins and Aiden were Vlad's only heirs…but they didn't ever seem to think about what all that meant for their futures.

The limo driver drove off into the sea of exiting cars as the twins walked on together. "There's the freshman." Leo pointed out Lolito on his way into school. Taylor didn't know what to make of Lolito's strange style. He had bright wavy orange hair, bluegreen eyes…and the rest of him was completely gothic. He had the leather jacket and the chains going on as well as the combat boots and thick eyeliner.

Even if Taylor had a comment, she didn't have enough time to cough it up. It would have only been something along the obvious statement regarding how Lolito was her polar opposite in style. Lolito was at his locker getting his books. He was skinny and kind of tall and his hair was wild but short. It had a blood red streak in it, contrasting the natural orange. "Who wears _combat boots _these days?" Taylor whispered to Leo as Lolito closed his locker and walked to his class.

Leo deadpanned. "Finally, you say something, and it's that? Usually I can't get you to stop talking."

"I once knew a girl who wore combat boots." Taylor said wisely. "And she was EVIL!" Taylor made a creepy face that made Leo laugh. "Goth equals evil. Geddit?"

"Haha, okay." Leo said. Just by looking at the expressions in each other's eyes, they could read each other's minds almost. And when they were together, they couldn't stop laughing. Taylor hid it well, but underneath her popular exterior, she was a dork as well. That was yet another thing that ran in their blood.

Taylor and Leo had every class together except for two. This was most likely so because they had the same last name. As for their two electives, Taylor chose gym and dance. And Leo chose band and computers. Taylor was also in the cheerleading extra-curricular, which meant sometimes Leo would wait for her after school, in the hopes that they could walk home together and also that Taylor might invite Karmen to hang out at their house like she did every once in a while. Leo had a huge crush on Karmen, but to Karmen, he was only just her best friend's brother.

Karmen and Taylor had dance together and it was their favorite class. Given its duality with gym, the two girls were totally in shape and already pumped for cheer practice before the routine even started. The green-haired BFF was almost as "Taylor" as Taylor herself was. Both girls enjoyed showing off their rad dance moves.

They were rewarded with wolf whistles from the cool guys in the class. Taylor fantasized herself dancing with Harley someday, even though he wasn't in this class or anything close. Karmen only smiled as she knew what Taylor was thinking about. Then their faces dropped when the door opened and closed suddenly.

Taylor and Karmen both flinched. Maybe it was that creepy janitor who sometimes came in to clean at this hour. They looked around the room. Everyone was present, even the annoying loud people. There was only one thing worse than the janitor trying to come and clean during class hours, and that was…a new student! "Sorry I'm late…" A quiet voice said.

Taylor and Karmen gasped. _It can't be…with that voice_…she thought to herself. Taylor noticed Lolito had entered the room. The red-head handed the teacher—Ms. Gray—a hall pass slip. Taylor could only watch as if her brain had been broken. What was the goth guy…doing in a peppy dance class?! Taylor had an odd thought just then…_maybe Leo was right…aliens really do walk among us every day_. Then she laughed to herself thinking, _no way_. Karmen probably thought her quick change of expression was odd, but then again, this was Taylor after all so she just had to shrug it off.

"Ms. Gray is never going to accept that." Karmen scoffed, elbowing Taylor. "Time for the new loser to learn the way things work around here. Right? Taylor? Earth to Taylor?" The brunette snapped out of it. Ms. Gray accepted the slip, much to the shock of the duo and Taylor frowned.

Karmen's eyes went wide. "But she's never…" Her voice trailed off. "Ms. Gray's one of the strictest teachers ever! Not even the whack-jobs in the back of our science class are crazy enough to cross her and beg to not be marked as tardy…"

"Karmen? You're exaggerating just a teensy weensy bit, I think."

Karmen sighed and twirled her long wavy hair around her singer "My point is that Ms. Gray has never accepted a pass from _us_, and we're the nicest kids in her class. We get straight A's and everything."

"I know." Taylor replied automatically.

"She even said we were her two favorite students!"

"_I know, Karmen_."

"So why then, would Ms. Gray accept a pass from someone she's only known for one day?"

"The answer is in the question, Karmen." Taylor replied, trying to sound smart like Leo. People thought he knew the answers to a lot of things just because he was clever with his wording. Maybe with the right tone, even a ditzy girl could pull it off. "They must have met before and worked something out. He _is_ new, after all."

Karmen gawked at her friend blankly. "Oh…kay." She replied having nothing else to say. Taylor was proud of having won their almost-debate by pretending to be smart.

"You can go join the rest of the class in warm-ups, Lolito." Ms. Gray said after marking something in her book of attendance. The skinny guy nodded slightly. Ms. Gray scanned the room and gave Taylor and Karmen a look that told them to get back to their stretches, which they did quickly and without question.


	5. Chapter 5: Glimpse of a Ghost

**Chapter 5: Glimpse of a Ghost **

Taylor and Karmen were silent for now. But the more the brunette exercised, the more wild and slightly mischievous ideas were born from the creative corners of her mind. Last night she had thought her plan to start talking to Harley again was sure-fire, but there was no way a goth guy would even acknowledge her presence in the first place. Besides, Harley was smart enough not to buy it. Taylor bit her lip as she stretched, deep in thought.

Then she got another brilliant idea. Even Karmen couldn't talk her out of this one if she tried. Taylor walked over to Lolito so she could talk to him while the rest of the class continued in their warm-ups. Taylor put on the fake smile which she had mastered as a child. It never failed. "Hi. I'm Taylor. Are you new here?" She batted her eyes innocently.

"Yeah. I came yesterday. I'm Lolito." His voice was surprisingly gentle-sounding, but it was also weak and small.

_Just like the rest of him_, Taylor thought. "If you love dance as much as I do, then this is the class for you." Taylor pretended to care as she did her stretching beside him. "Don't you like it?"

"No, not really." He answered with an honest shrug. _Oh thank God!_ Taylor thought. Then her plan was sure to work. However she was surprised that such a dark soul had talked to her in the first place. If he had been the kind of goth who gave the silent treatment, things wouldn't work at all. "It's the only elective at this hour that wasn't full." The boy added.

Taylor quickly became irritated at that remark though she could see he probably didn't mean anything by it. Dance was like the greatest thing ever to Taylor, coming second only to cheer! Of course someone as uncultured as Lolito didn't recognize that, but what could Taylor expect? She had to pretend to take his comment as lightly as possible. "Dance is the kind of hobby that needs to be taken very _seriously_." She said slowly.

"I know." Lolito looked down. "And I don't think I'm serious enough about it."

"Then maybe you should check those class lists again because I think something will open up." Taylor said with a smile. She just wanted Lolito out of here so that he wouldn't ruin it for everyone else with his inexperience and lethargic moves. "With four shows a year, things are sure to pick up in high school. You better back out soon before you become too involved if you don't like it."

"Too late." He replied in a dull sing-song way.

"Too late for what?" Her blue eyes stared directly into his face. The fear of uncertainty was a terrible thing.

Uncomfortably, he looked back down at his black skinny jeans again and only gave a small, barely noticeable shrug. "My schedule's already set. I can't change out."

Taylor blinked and then sighed quickly, letting all her frustration out in that one dainty breath. _I guess we're stuck with him_. If that was the case, then she was determined to make the most of it. Depressing kids dressed in all black couldn't suck the color and life out of the whole dance crew, could they?

After the warm-ups, Lolito was supposed to give an audition like everybody else in the class had done previously. As the room silenced except for small talk, Lolito put a CD in the large boom box in the center of the room. The music was metal and Taylor could tell by the faces on the other students that they did not like this at all. She didn't care for it either. Lolito danced loosely with no rhythm. He wasn't even very controlled or even intentional in his movements. It all seemed spontaneous and disorganized. In fact, he was downright awful.

The teacher and other students were left speechless. Karmen's jaw dropped practically down to the floor. Taylor smiled slyly and Lolito approached her after the audition was over. Taylor clapped slowly. She was the only one clapping too. "I think I've changed my opinion on you. You might want to stay in this class after all. I like you already." Lolito smiled shyly, not realizing how bad his dancing was. He just shrugged, seemingly indifferent to the praise.

Though the other student's conversations began to grow in volume at the lack of instruction, the teacher remained seemingly frozen in position as she contemplated what to do next. Valerie Gray had a very sour look on her face. She knew she was going to regret having the "less than talented one" in her class. The fact was that Ms. Gray had specifically asked for Lolito to be placed in this class so that she could observe him. She wanted to get to know the teen and discover if he really was the person she thought he was.

It really would be hard to tell, and memories were not infallible, but there was a definite possibility Lolito was connected to a sliver of Ms. Gray's past. "Hmmmmm…" That was all she said as she mused. She watched the goth boy as he talked with Taylor and Karmen. Taylor was indeed similar too, but to two people which Valerie knew…no, that couldn't be…that wasn't possible. For now Valerie discarded the theory of Taylor. Lolito could be the key to the whole thing. If his true identity was realized, more than one truth would come out.

Later, at lunch, Taylor asked Lolito to sit with her and Karmen, much to Karmen's shock. "Why did you invite him to sit here?" Karmen whispered as she and Taylor took their regular seats in the cafeteria. Taylor was probably up to some mischievous plan and Karmen didn't want to be a part of it.

"Don't worry. I've got a plan." Taylor murmured to her best friend. _Of course she does_, Karmen thought, _called it_. Taylor laughed lightly and then looked at Lolito as he approached. She smiled at Lolito and waved him over to a seat which was open. Whoever sat there normally would just have to get a new seat for today. Taylor observed Lolito pull out his lunch. It was all veggies and fruits. How strange. "You sure like your greens, huh?" The brunette commented. Her preconceptions of the goth had certainly not included vegetarian.

Lolito nodded proudly. He looked over then and considered Taylor's lunch. "Is that grilled caviar?" He asked Taylor nauseously.

Taylor nodded. "Want some?" She offered with a low chuckle.

Lolito backed away. "No thanks. Fish makes me sick."

Karmen just laughed. And Taylor elbowed her then. They were going to be polite to him, for today at least. Or however long it took to convince him they were his friends. Something inside of Taylor told her she was being shallow, but like she had done in the past, she shrugged it off, or tried to. That same voice told her she would regret this…Lolito didn't deserve it…he deserved good friends. Taylor had a choice here—a choice to redeem her herself.

She never believed herself to be pure of heart. But she was, and it was just her own self-centeredness getting in the way of it. That was destined to change, but it would not be easy. Everyone made mistakes but one day Taylor would go too far. She knew that inside, but wouldn't know that day until it came. Little did she know that because of something Lolito was about to share, Taylor would come to learn what it really meant to have a little faith. Getting her to believe in things was about as easy as pulling teeth.

"So what brings you here in the middle of a school year?" Karmen asked Lolito as they began to eat. The sounds of other kids chattering in the background made them difficult to hear.

"My foster parents." Lolito said casually.

"Oh." Karmen regretted asking. The subject of parents in general made her heart heavy. But Taylor was oblivious and just wanted Lolito to carry on.

"I really don't mind talking about it. I'm just glad to have the parents I've got now. Though they are secretly…science geeks. They will go on and on about ghosts and stuff if you get them started, despite looking like a bodybuilder and a model on the outside. But aside from their strange spectral beliefs, they're normal I guess. I completely believe in ghosts and all things weird and freaky but I'll never be a Baxter." He huffed.

"Ghosts?" Taylor asked with disbelief. "Ghost scientists? That's a thing now?"

"They preferred the term "Ecto-Ologists" but yes, they study them on occasion." Lolito explained. "In their youth, they used to think ghosts were lame and weird, but something changed their minds…I dunno."

"Does everybody in this town believe in ghosts?" Karmen asked nervously. "It seems like every day somebody somewhere brings up the subject." She sounded a bit insecure about it. "I kind of wish people would just drop it already."

"Ghosts? Who cares! My life is one-hundred-percent ghost-free." Taylor said with a proud smile and a slight laugh. "Really now…of course we can talk about something else if it makes you mad, Karmen."

"Ghosts don't make me mad." Karmen said with a slight scoff. "I just really don't know much _about_ ghosts."

"My twin brother would probably be into that kind of junk though." Taylor mentioned. "His name is Leo. Maybe you should talk to him."

"Sounds like a cool kid." Lolito said. "If I see him around, I will."

"So you really do believe in ghosts?" Taylor teased with a smile forming on the edge of her mouth.

"I've never actually seen one, but my mom and dad—my real parents, not foster—used to tell me all about this Danny Phantom ghost that would save the town from all these monsters just so the citizens would be able to sleep a little better at night. I vaguely remember how from young my foster mom told me she and Danny were friends back in high school, and even dated. But alas once the man found his true love, he only had eyes for her."

Taylor and Karmen both thought that was a cute anecdote. They loved love. "That's a nice story." Taylor finally said. It was the first genuine thing she had said to Lolito all day.

"Thanks. That's all I remember of my mom, really. Oh, and she had orange hair, just like mine, even though I will never know my blood mother. That's why I've never dyed it, even though I want to. Black is more my style. That was my dad's hair color and I wish I'd have inherited that instead."

Both Karmen and Taylor shook their heads. "Just dye it if you don't like it." Taylor said casually. "Karmen says she doesn't like her natural hair color either. See, it's perfectly fine to have your hair different colors. Karmen, what is your natural hair color anyway?"

Karmen twirled a few mint-green strands around her index finger. "Um…brown. Dark, dark brown. Darker than yours, Taylor." She mentioned awkwardly.

"Really? I could never picture you as a brunette." Taylor said thoughtfully.

Karmen laughed. "Neither could I!"

Once lunch was over, Taylor wanted to forget everything Lolito had said about ghosts. Lunch didn't go as badly as she thought it would—at least the conversation didn't fall flat. Lolito's company wasn't all that bad. Taylor's mind had zoned out like it usually did in early afternoons but she felt her whole mind shake as her eyes beheld something she knew she could never forget. Something that would serve as proof that…maybe there was a little truth in what Lolito had mentioned earlier.

Outside the school in the parking lot, there suddenly appeared out of nowhere a woman with bluish green skin. Her hair was in green dreadlocks and she wore a red jacket that said "Johnny's Girl" on the back. She looked around for a moment with a concerned expression on her face. Taylor's attention hadn't completely been captured yet and it was possible this sighting could have slipped her eye had this woman not flown away.

FLOWN. As in straight up into the air and without wings! This was no movie set and this was no ruse. Taylor saw what she saw, and she had to tell somebody she could trust…as soon as possible! Or else she felt like her brain would burst! Taylor was all jittery in classes. She couldn't wait for the school day to end. She couldn't focus on anything…but the ghost.

After the last bell of the day had rung, Taylor ran around searching everywhere for Karmen but could not find her. But Taylor _did_ find her brother Leo.

She took him by the arm and they ran outside where Taylor spotted their limo. She pulled him inside quickly. The sooner they were in a private place, the better. If she told her story in front of her friends, they might think she had finally cracked with all the pressure of being popular. It would give the losers and haters something to hold against her and she couldn't have that.

"Why are you in such a rush to get home?" Leo asked with a confused face. He fixed his messy brown hair back to the way it was before they ran. "Calm down."

"I'm not in a rush." She huffed, still trying to get her breath to catch up to her. "Wait, no, you're right. I just wanted to talk to you in private." She explained. "You're the only one I can trust besides Karmen, and I couldn't find her." She dumped her homework on the floor and turned towards her brother. "Do you _seriously_ believe in ghosts?" They locked eye to eye. "Do you, Leo? Or was it all just some sappy hope you have?"

Leo gave her a weird look. "…Yes." He answered, hoping that was the answer she wanted. He cupped her face in his palm and shoved her away. "Why do you suddenly care, anyways? I thought you said ghosts were a bunch of nonsense…"

"Well…I think I saw a ghost. Earlier. She was middle-aged and had green skin and she could fly. I've never seen _that_ kind of nonsense before. The tangible, visible kind, I mean. Have you? It was the sort of thing you see in movies all the time. Only here it was…she flew…right before my eyes!"


	6. Chapter 6: The Real Myth

**Chapter 6: The Real Myth**

Leo didn't really know what to believe. For a moment he thought she was pulling a prank on him but that wasn't her style. "Are you sure it was a person? Not a reflection, or a television screen, or a hallucination, or a balloon…"

Taylor sighed. "You don't believe me? I thought you would, of all people. Come on, who else am I gonna tell besides Karmen? I know what I saw, and it's for real. You know I don't hallucinate. And nobody makes balloons _that_ realistic, or projections that can have shadows." She stared at him with innocent hope. Leo was silent. He pulled out his laptop from his backpack. Leo showed his sister saved pictures he had of ghosts in his gallery files. Most were from movies, Halloween costumes, cartoons, and magic shows. "Those aren't ghosts, Leo, _those_ are movie actors dressed up. I'm talking about _real_ ghosts, not bed sheets or people in makeup and wearing wires. I'm telling you about the actual flesh and bones."

Leo rolled his eyes. "I don't know what else there is to show you. There used to be ghost sightings in our town all the time long before we were born. But the ghosts are gone, now, okay? I dunno, somebody killed them or chased them out or something. All this time I've been hoping in something that's just become a semi-modern urban legend. Old news reports have been erased and the space recycled. I don't have access to any references which are supposedly there. I can't prove spectral existence to you. I guess you're right—it is really more of a hope than a set of proven facts."

Taylor grabbed him gently by the shoulders and pressed her forehead to his. "But what I saw WAS real." For once with that look in her eye, the personality locked inside of her showed through. Her flaws hid it oftentimes, but sometimes she just couldn't help her true self from coming out in times of need. Sure she had concealed it for a long while but she couldn't bury it down in there forever.

Leo sighed. "I'm sure there are real ghosts out there walking among us, but they don't get themselves caught on camera. They're older and smarter than teenagers. I wouldn't know where to look even if I wanted to find one for real."

"_You_?" Taylor's blue eyes widened and she blinked twice. "You, Leo Masters, the biggest paranormal geek I know…_don't have an answer_?"

"Sorry, Taylor. If you want to know anything more than what I just told you, you'll have to get somebody else involved." Leo began to pack his things up.

"Finally when I think you're on the right track to something, you give up hope? Growing up, you were always the one who inspired me to keep going when I wanted to quit. Well you were right to believe in ghosts, and some day you and I are going to see one for real. I'm willing to do whatever it takes." Just as her brother had zipped the laptop case closed, Taylor remembered something that could be a deal breaker here. "Lolito told me about someone named _Danny Phantom_. I believe he said this guy was a famous ghost back in the day."

"Lolito's involved? Why didn't you say so?" Leo pulled out his laptop bag again and typed in "Danny Phantom" to the search engine slot. The image results were all from newspapers about twenty years ago. "Gee, this guy is old if he was our age over twenty years ago. And I can't seem to find a recent picture of him. All of these articles are from when he was a teenager. That's probably why he got caught on camera—he didn't know any better."

"Maybe he's dead now." Taylor said with a shrug.

Leo face palmed and then he just stared at her for a moment. "You need to sharpen up your math skills, sister. He's not THAT old. There is no mention of him dying or anything. It looks like he just dropped off the face of the earth after we were born."

"Gotcha."

"It seems like your "Danny Phantom" used to be a pretty popular fella." Leo said, intrigued. "Before he…_disappeared_. Dun. Dun. Duuunnn!"

"Oh dear." Taylor sighed. "Dad might know about him. We should ask."

"That's…not a bad idea, Taylor." Leo smiled and put the laptop back in his bag.

"Are ya nervous?" Leo kindly asked Taylor.

"No…what would make you think such a thing? Are you?"

Leo smiled. "Never." He said. "So why are you still standing there?"

"…I haven't thought of what to say yet." The girl confessed.

"Just go." Leo gave her a little push. "It was all your idea. Didn't you say earlier you were willing to do whatever it takes?"

Taylor cringed slightly, knowing he was right and there was no getting out of this one. "You'll be standing right here waiting for me, right?"

Leo nodded, then reconsidered and shook his head. "I'm busy tonight actually."

Taylor shrugged. "All right. See ya in a bit. Wish me luck." The girl slightly twisted the doorknob and entered into her father's study. It was a trick knob designed to keep the workers out. Fortunately Taylor had figured out its secret long ago.

Vlad Masters was sitting at his large sequoia wood desk. He mindlessly sorted files and updated information on his computer. It was therapeutic and relaxing to him in a way. He looked up when he saw Taylor's shadow approaching. She knew he was not her _real_ father, but she always loved him as if he was. She stared hard at him for the first time in a long time. And she realized he was older than he used to be. He was over sixty. Why was that suddenly such an unsettling factor to the teen? "Taylor?" He questioned her presence here.

She smiled in a cheesy way. She had remained calm up until this point but when he stared at her with those eyes like a hawk, her nerves seemed to boil over. "Hi! Daddy…um, I was wondering if I could have a…a raise in my allowance! Yeah, so I can buy a hot pink sports car when I get my license in two years. I got big bragging plans for it!"

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "So you are feeling shallow AND deceptive today, I see?"

Taylor tried to stammer out some other excuse but her mind drew a blank on everything except the real reason she had come in here. She sighed in defeat. "Okay, you got me. I don't really want a raise in allowance. Well, I do, but…n-never mind that. I just wanted to ask you if you could tell me a little bit about ghosts. That's all."

"_Ghosts_?" Vlad seemed concerned. All the relaxation he had done today was for nothing after he heard that one word. His eyes went from calm to alert in a flash and they almost seemed to glow with an emotion Taylor could not identify. He swapped one pair of glasses for the next. The skin around his eyes was slightly swollen due to both age and fatigue, and he looked as though he was squinting.

"And don't tell me there's no such thing." Taylor laughed nervously, expecting him to write her off as a manic if she persisted.

Vlad stood up and put a fatherly arm around her. "I thought you were too interested in flashy girly happy things to take an interest in your brother Leo's crazy schematics. At least that's what you told me growing up. Taylor, Taylor, Taylor…naïve, sweet little Taylor. I'm sure if you take your problem to Leo, he'll be able to explain things in a calm, rational fashion and eventually have you come to his same conclusion—that there's no such thing as ghosts. He might _want_ to believe they are real, but the fact is, there's no proof, and deep down, he knows that."

Taylor looked down at her feet. Maybe Vlad was right. He had been around much longer than she had and he would know if those old ghost sightings actually happened or not because he was there. He continued in his speech as her morale deflated just a bit. One of the things she hated most in the world was a lost hope.

"Taylor, I knew sooner or later one of you would come and ask me about monsters. Sometimes freaky things can happen when idiot scientists mess things up, but jumping to the conclusion that there is an entire species out there that wants to haunt and attack us wonderful humans for no reason? Who would have you believe that? Parents who lie to their children to get them to fear something so they'll behave."

Obviously Vlad wasn't going to be much help. Taylor still needed to investigate further until she found an answer. The problem now was she didn't know who to ask. "Wait a minute, then why are there articles everywhere about ghost sightings twenty years ago? You were there! Don't you know?"

Vlad sighed. "I'm afraid those decades are a bit fuzzy in my mind. But…if there were said monsters around at one point, they would probably have caused catastrophic damage on the town. Think about it…how could the word ghost ever refer to something good? All of them are greedy and selfish to an extreme you don't want to see. That is why…always place your trust in humans. Avoid this nonsense about ghosts. It'll only lead you down a bad road."

"I understand." Taylor admitted then. "You won't have to worry about me, dad."

"Good girl. Now help your old man to the couch, will you?" Vlad seemed helplessly humble in his aged and weakened state, so he really did require the help of a younger sprite. All this talk of ghosts had shaken him up a bit. His memory really was a bit foggy these days and he hadn't transformed to his ghost half in almost a decade. There had been no use for it ever since Danny Phantom and his annoying crew disappeared.

In all this time, Vlad had become more human than he realized. By not transforming, he had sort of balanced out some of the "crazy" that got pumped into him decades ago during the college accident that gave him his powers. He hadn't made that connection yet but for now he had to steer this poor girl away from the idea of ghosts because they didn't exist in anywhere but memories now. And memories faded—Vlad's old age was proof of that.

"Are you feeling all right?" Taylor questioned.

"I'm afraid I've been working all day instead of keeping up my fitness like I used to. Someday you'll understand that retirement is not as easy as people make it sound."

Taylor nodded. She started to walk away out of her father's office. "Don't you want more light in here than just that one desk lamp?" She asked with concern.

"No thanks dear, I'll be fine." Vlad waved her on.

Taylor walked out and shut the door. And then she quietly tiptoed to Leo's bedroom. It was always a big shock coming into the den because it was…well it was Leo's world. The walls were midnight blue with stars painted on them and the ceiling was alien green. And all over the walls were a clutter of mythical-themed posters. "I saw a ghost." Taylor reminded herself in a soft whisper. "I know I did."

"What did you say?" Leo looked up at her.

"Nothing." She replied. She was lucky that Leo wasn't as inquisitive as Aiden was. In fact it was for that very reason that Taylor stopped talking to Aiden as often as she used to. "Dad doesn't know anything." She answered with a shrug. "Asking him was a waste of time. Basically he said first that there is no such thing as ghosts, but then he said if there was, we should stay away from them. But hey, don't you think it'd be a change of pace if we ran _towards_ the danger for once, instead of away from it?" Both of them went from straight-faced to laughing like maniacs in a second.

Soon, their laughter dwindled down. "Doesn't that sound like something Aiden would say, being brave beyond all reason and whatnot? Oh well, no rush. All you could do was try."

"I guess so." Taylor sat down on his bed. She was kind of lost without him because she was completely knew to this kind of thing. "So what do we do now? Come on, you must be used to this feeling of knowing you're right and nobody believes you. What do you do then?"

The boy just shrugged. She had hoped for a verbal reply. He had both his laptop and his computer up with a certain subject he had been studying. He turned the computer around and introduced the girl to the screen. "If you Google "Danny Phantom _Amity Park_", you'll get all of these lovely results. See for yourself. The town _adored_ him. Back in his day, there was some sort of danger that he rescued people from repeatedly. For a long time, our dad lived in Wisconsin, right? So he must not have been in Colorado at the time when ghosts were around! That way it all makes sense."

"And it's really cool." Taylor smiled as she studied the work of the hero. "I never thought I could be so fascinated from something like this but somehow this whole idea of ghosts makes me feel alive."

Leo grinned. "Notice that in a lot of these pictures, there are some reoccurring people who stand by him and support him. Maybe he knew them. They look ordinary at first glance but they keep popping up everywhere. Let's give the imagination some exercise, shall we? Let's try to find some of these people and see if they know anything."

"Yeah! Maybe they are professional…ghost…people."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Aaaaaanyways, see here, this dark-skinned guy with the lame glasses? He's the one who shows up the most. Then is this brunette lady. She looks like she's in good shape. This black-haired lady looks like she could be Danny Phantom's twin, but being a twin myself I might be seeing a similarity that isn't there."

"No, I see it too."

"There are a few others that pop up less often like this gaunt gangly fellow with that one weird streak of red hair. Then there's…"

"Hey!" Taylor interrupted excitedly. "That muscular woman in the red suit reminds me of…_Ms. Gray_!"

Leo had to stop and think a moment, and then he gasped dramatically. "Yeah! I see it now! She totally does! Hey, I wonder if she IS that woman!"

Taylor squealed. "Finally we have a lead! My very own teacher? I wonder if she and Lolito are connected somehow and that's why Lolito said what he did. OOH! Maybe Lolito knows more than he let on. He mentioned Danny Phantom first, by name, out of the blue. And then suddenly an old photo of our teacher pops up? Coincidence? No way! Can you try to find the names of those other people mentioned anywhere?" Taylor suggested.

"Already thought of that. And I did it before you even came in." He shook his head. "Not a single name, address, friend's name, or any further information whatsoever." Leo sat up straighter. "But this isn't the end of the road. We still have that lead we wouldn't have if you hadn't come back in here. Ms. Gray isn't one of my teachers so I never would have pinned it. I suppose we do know one more thing about them that we can say for sure."

Taylor's hope suddenly returned. "What's that?"

"They care an awful lot about covering their tracks."

"Ah! You're right. You're so smart."

Leo smiled. "Talk to Ms. Gray, but don't be too obvious. Let's both get close to Lolito in school and take turns trying to extract every bit of information we can. Taylor, welcome to the geeky side. On my part, I'll get my bud Casey to—"

"Wait, whoa, NO. We are not bringing one of your loser friends into this, okay? It's too big of a secret now. I don't even know if I'm going to tell _Karmen_."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Fiiiiine." He agreed reluctantly. "I won't tell Casey about your sighting unless…you tell Karmen. If you tell Karmen anything then Casey's fair game."

Taylor tried to come up with something to cleverly get herself out of that, but she found herself in a handshake agreement on it anyways. As she walked back out of Leo's room, she repeated in her mind how it wasn't a big deal. Then she got to her own bedroom and did a childish little pre-cheer-routine-practice happy dance and squealed with the excitement she couldn't extinguish because it was almost like it was in her blood. "Oooh, this is like totally a BIG DEAL!"


	7. Chapter 7: Covert Cover-Up

**Chapter 7: Covert Cover-Up **

The next morning, Taylor decided to sit next to Lolito in their math class. Leo watched them out of the corner of his eye. He was proud of his sister for actually carrying through with the agreement and sitting with the strange new kid even though it could put her rep at an awkward position. Leo didn't believe Taylor would actually do it. She must really be curious about ghosts or else she would have let the subject go by now.

As Taylor was flipping through her notebook, ready to begin the days' work, she realized she was lacking a certain sidekick of hers. That girl was always there, around, somewhere, so that Taylor had back up. "Where's Karmen?" Taylor asked out loud. The rhetorical question was not meant for anyone else to hear, though Lolito did glace over slightly. Taylor slid down in her chair and pulled her pink cell phone out of her purse. She could text without looking now, so that she appeared to be paying attention in class when she was trying to reach Karmen.

Sadly, the skill was a bit of a waste when Karmen didn't answer. In between first period and lunch, Taylor sent seven text messages to her best friend. It wasn't like Karmen to give the silent treatment. What was keeping her? Was she sick? Was there an emergency? A sudden tragedy? Or had Karmen just lost the phone? Even if Karmen had taken a sudden illness, she _always_ notified her friends in the morning before they went to school. Taylor started getting a very bad feeling about this.

In dance class, Taylor was so bored. What kind of duo was theirs when half of it was missing? She sat with the rest of the group. Their excitable girly chatter only reminded her of Karmen so Taylor just did her warm-ups by herself. Taylor realized that having a sidekick around was the foothold of her confidence. Without Karmen, Taylor sunk to a strange level of uncertainty. She needed to find a new temporary replacement. But who else? Most of the populars were also leaders.

This left Taylor no other choice than to hang with Leo at lunch. Leo typically sat wherever his dorky science friends would sit. Today, Leo sat betwixt a geek and a nerd. The geek was Lolito, of course. Leo became confused when he saw Taylor standing there. Still, he offered her a seat. Taylor sat down at the only available spot—next to an awkward boy whose clothing ensemble was a downright train wreck. She tried to ignore him and pretend he wasn't there. If he talked to her, she didn't know what she'd do. She was so out of her element.

This boy was thin; _so_ thin that his ribs showed through his shirt. His hair was cut short and precise—and that was always a boring feature in a male. The guy also had checkered glasses. His pants were corduroy—the gross kind, not the fashionable kind. But contradictive, his shirt was football-themed. He was smiling and laughing at the jokes his friends were telling. He frowned when he saw Taylor. He avoided looking at her. She suspected he was a wannabe jock because of his getup, but maybe not.

_Figures_, Taylor thought, _this kid must be one of those jerks who can't stand me because I'm an A-Lister_. Taylor hated them just as much as they hated her. Everyday losers had known to be shy around populars, envious of them, jealous, adoring—all kinds of things, but every now and then, there came along a critic. Someone who went around saying "they didn't need popularity" to make themselves feel better for being a jerk to everyone.

Taylor found these "nonconformist" people unoriginal, judgmental, and obtrusive. The prima donna did not utter a word. She mainly looked down at her food while she ate all ladylike. Being the single pretty flower among the field of barbaric social outcasts was _not_ easy. "You're Leo's sister, right?" Lolito looked at Taylor. The geek smiled in such a way that it made Taylor's skin crawl. Taylor had little choice but to nod in return. "I want to thank you for being so nice to me yesterday. You, Leo, and Casey are the only friends I have here so far." Lolito mentioned gratefully. "If it weren't for you guys, I'd be sitting alone, probably getting beat up by some football player right now."

Taylor put on a fake smile and tried to pretend she liked Lolito. "_Casey_?" She asked automatically. It was natural for her to get to know names of new people sitting at her A-Lister table but she had momentarily forgotten the situation. Lolito motioned to the awkward blond boy sitting next to Taylor. "Oh." Taylor could immediately sense the poignant, unfriendly vibes Casey gave out. She did her best to ignore Casey. Whenever he started running his mouth to someone else at their table, Taylor started some meaningless conversation of her own with Lolito or Leo to cover the unpleasant sound of Casey's voice. Casey shot Taylor a cold glare once or twice. Luckily, neither Leo nor Lolito caught on.

"Casey's my foster brother." Lolito mentioned to Taylor. "We don't have much in common, but we kind of have to get along and are sort of friends now."

"That's cool." Leo said smiling. Inside he realized that was a dumb line and he closed his eyes tightly. Lolito laughed. Taylor frowned. _How lame_, she thought. And here she was beginning to believe she and Lolito could be friends in a manner of speaking. When the bell rang, students slowly shuffled to class. Taylor, attempting to throw away her lunch plates and trash, slipped on an orange juice carton.

She let out a little squeal as she fell to the ground. WAS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?! Oh, but it was! Next thing she knew, her right foot and ankle were dotted with someone else's unwanted orange juice. Ew! And to make matters worse, she was wearing yellow skirt and a pink top, so whatever mess was on the ground was now all over her clothes and was devastatingly obvious. It was there to stay. How embarrassing! People were laughing at her. Suddenly she didn't look so hot. Where had this sudden clumsiness come from?

Lolito outstretched her hand to help Taylor up. The unfortunate girl took it. "Thanks." She was surprised that Lolito actually cared. Especially considering that Taylor disliked him. Lolito nodded politely. In the twinkling of an eye, the two parted ways like this was nothing. It certainly _was_ something, to Taylor at least. Altruism was a marvel.

Casey was the only other person who saw Taylor's little scene and gave a second thought to it. Oh, how he despised her, and was glad she had fallen. He considered that old saying "pride cometh before a fall" had just been displayed literally. Taylor was just like Casey's mother had been in high school—young, spoiled, peppy, and hot. Paulina had turned out well, but would Taylor? Casey just shook his head and got to class.

On the way to lunch, Taylor passed Harley in the hall. He asked what was wrong. Naturally she told him, and tried to look glamorous but failed. Harley laughed like the good-natured fellow he was and offered to help her if she ever needed it. He proceeded to flirt with her a little, even going to the extent of asking her out, but for once she was not in the mood. She was polite as possible, but on the inside she couldn't help but wonder if she was meant for more than this superficial little life.

Taylor spent the remainder of the school day deciding whether or not to let Lolito become her friend. In retrospect, people in high school had better opinions of people who had fewer enemies. Lolito wasn't worth making an enemy out of. Maybe, just maybe, Lolito might grow into a worthwhile companion after all. There had to be something Taylor could find in common with him to bond over.

After school was over, Taylor went with Harley to grab a quick dinner and then just hang out back at his place. She thought it was so cool that he could drive. It was a simple date but she enjoyed it and it definitely cheered her up after what had happened today. She asked him if he had seen Karmen anywhere at school and he shrugged. Around six was when Harley dropped Taylor off back at her home.

In said home, Vlad sat in his burgundy desk chair sorting old files as part of his mayoral duties of the past. He relished those days when he served his term and liked to remember them often. He took his time. Vlad accidentally picked up one of his files—his _personal_ files—about the adoption rights to Aiden, Taylor and Leo. The contents of this folder had not been touched or modified in years. It had been mixed in with these other files to assure that it would not too easily be found by anyone.

As Vlad re-read the forged birth certificates, he remembered the kids growing up over the years. They had gotten so big! He always wondered at how children could start out so small, innocent, and impressionable and then turn into teenagers. Even though they were not his own children, Vlad loved them. He never said it in so many words, but it was the truth. They were a part of his heart as if they were his own family. His real blood relatives were all but dead now. His only living relative was a sister he hadn't spoken to in decades.

Vlad pulled out another one of the papers from the file. This was an archive list of the genetic test Vlad had performed in a certain timeframe. Back when Vlad first acquired the kids, he cut off some of their hair to use in a test that would reveal whether or not they had inherited their birth father's ghost powers. Back when they were just little bundles of joy, the results had come back showing they were all 100% human. No ghost percentage. It was a relief. But then again, the machine could have also been wrong to begin with.

For the time being, Vlad had nothing to worry about. But puberty snuck up fast, and things were absolutely changing in the kids' young bodies. All the hormonal aggravation might awaken some hidden powers. Vlad thought it best to take another test—a newer one—just to be sure. Having a small percentage of ghost powers would not surprise Vlad. Since Danny was only half ghosts, the kids were not likely to have more than 25% ghost genetics.

After dinner, Vlad noted that Leo and Aiden's hair was too long and insisted that he give them a haircut. He gave them a short lecture about how shaggy hair made them look less professional, and how they could never get jobs that way. Of course, that was a bunch of hooey but he had to give some believable excuse. The boys were easy to trick. But Taylor liked her hair long so Vlad had to go into her bedroom and steal some hairs off her brush.

Vlad revived his old DNA sequencer that he had built and adapted years ago. Vlad decided to test Aiden's DNA first. The results weren't instant. Vlad forgot that the machine was very cheap and took over a day to produce the accurate and detailed results that Vlad wanted. This frustrated him. He also figured it best to test his own DNA as well to see just how accurate the machine was. It was many, many hours later before Vlad's sequencer finally produced any sport of response. Aiden was 100% human. Vlad was relieved.

Besides, Aiden was too focused on his grades and his sports and his girlfriend to care about ghosts at all. Vlad's own DNA came back as being nearly equal between human and ghost. Honestly, the loud beeping sound the machine made for ghost DNA startled Vlad at first, but at least he knew it was doing what it was made for. Next, Vlad tested Taylor's DNA. The following day, Vlad was not amused by the result of his covert experiments. Taylor's DNA showed a 10% ghost portion. This must be a result of puberty, Vlad blamed.

Though it was a mere 10% and Taylor was 90% human, she probably wouldn't have any ghost powers at all. If anything, maybe one. Vlad reassured himself with the fact that Taylor was not like her father at all. Taylor wasn't a pest, but rather was the rich snob Vlad had raised her to be as his daughter. Last and final to be tested was Leo. In the latter day, Vlad checked up on the sequencer. It was still processing Leo's DNA. _What a hunk of junk_, Vlad thought. "This is taking too long!" He yelled to himself as he gave the thing a light punch.

Out of his own impatience, he found himself making hourly visits to the sequencer. _He had to know that Danny Phantom's children were at least mostly human. _Vlad couldn't rest until he knew the truth. Vlad had to wait a whole extra day before the DNA sequencer showed the results of Leo's DNA. Vlad pressed the panel that was supposed to show the results. It crashed, and was thus broken forever. Probably. Vlad didn't have the wherewithal to fix it. He wasn't a strapping youth anymore but rather an old man.

He shouted angrily to the sky. Then he ran a diagnostic on the machine. The sequencer was operating correctly. It was Leo's DNA that was messed up! Leo's DNA had crashed the sequencer! How was Vlad ever supposed to get the results of Leo's genetic pattering? Not knowing the results would drive him truly crazy. What if Leo developed ghost powers? Vlad didn't want to deal with Leo having powers, ever. The very thought made him sick.

So Vlad ran the wait for Leo's DNA a few more times. And each time, crashdown was imminent. Unavoidable. Like a virus. Or a contagion. This made Vlad wonder…what was wrong with Leo's DNA? Was the DNA mutated? Was Leo more than the halfa percentage? Was Leo something in between ghost and human? Was Leo something different all together…?


	8. Chapter 8: All Things Kept Secret

**Chapter 8: All Things Kept Secret**

Leo headed down to the fridge to grab a quick snack and was intercepted by Vlad. Vlad approached Leo slowly, as if something was about to happen that Vlad would regret later. But it was plain to see Vlad thought he had no other choice. Vlad put his hand on Leo's shoulder very calmly, but it was creepy. Leo turned around, startled, as he easily was these days. "Yes?" He questioned.

The smell of old Wisconsin dairy products still lingered on Vlad's clothes from before his senior citizen years. The cheese merged with his cologne a little bit too. Whenever he snuck up on Leo like that, Leo felt a chill up his spine; he didn't know why. "Son, I'd like you to come with me, just for a moment. This'll be quick; I promise." Vlad spoke like a true politician who reeked of broken promises. However hard it was to believe, he was telling the truth this time.

"Oh. Sure dad." Leo obediently followed the man into the private study room.

Vlad pulled a book from one of the mahogany shelves and a secret panel opened, revealing a hidden staircase. It was obvious by how quiet he was being that he didn't want Taylor or Aiden to know he was doing this. But Leo was still too naïve to think that deeply on such matters. Leo followed Vlad down it with slow, careful steps. They were steps which creaked and moved slightly as weight was pressed and released from them. The stairs were carpeted with red velvet. Specifically, it was _blood_ red, interestingly enough. Vlad hushed Leo several times.

Vlad led Leo to a large machine with blue lights and whirling funnels, tunnels, panels and knobs and switches with buttons. The young teen just gazed in awe, having never seen any of this before. He had no clue this room even existed. All things kept secret intrigued him the most. "This is a very special machine, Leo." Vlad mentioned. The thing _smelled_ very special too. Petroleum and iron were definitely present. Maybe a little dash of rust dusted the bottom too. A green residue, which had once been cleaned up, still left a slight shadow on one side of the machinery.

"It looks pretty cool." Leo still had no idea why his father was showing him this contraption, but he was definitely awestruck in more ways than one.

Vlad clicked his tongue oddly, a habit he had picked up many years ago. "The other night, your sister came to me with some strange questions about…ghosts. I wondered where a member of the socially elite high-society would ever have gotten ideas about that sort of mumbo jumbo. And then I happened to recall to my memory your small infatuation with aliens and other fabrications of the paranormal. Have you ever heard about _ghosts_, Leo?" Vlad challenged the young teen slightly as they locked blue eye to blue.

Leo didn't want to lie to his own father. Something about this just didn't feel right. He opened his mouth, but couldn't make his vocal cords resonate. No sound came out. Leo's eyes rapidly moved across the room, searching for any possible out—any way to change the subject. "Why are you…trusting me with all of this?" He wanted to ask if Taylor knew about any of this, but assumed she didn't. Aiden might know. But Leo didn't want to risk sounding stupid.

When Leo did not give an answer, Vlad refocused his impending stare on the machine. "Son, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but…ghosts are real." He confessed plainly. "It is with a heavy and regretful voice that I must confess to you the truth. Please forgive me for having misled you kids. I'm terribly sorry. I didn't want it to come to this…not at all. Do you believe me?"

Leo's heart began to race. His fingers got all tingly. He couldn't tell if Vlad was being serious or not. Since when did Vlad believe? Leo blinked. "Yes, of course, sir. Don't worry about it."

"…And they are a monstrous menace to modern society, those vile creatures. Oh, believe me, I have everything to worry about if you keep pursuing them. You know, when you were younger, I thought this was a childish habit you'd soon grow out of after hearing logic and reason but you are older now and much smarter than before. I can see that when you are focused, nothing can deter you. But I'll leave you with this warning…to stay away from ghosts. They are evil. Avoid them as long as you live, and you will continue to live. If not, I cannot truly guarantee your life."

Leo gasped silently, thinking of Karmen. Should he mention her? No way! How could he even consider it! How stupid! She had only ever been a nice person. No way could she be evil!

"There was a long time ago when Amity Park, Colorado used to be haunted by ghosts night and day. But suddenly, they all disappeared. Either something wiped them out or they all went into hiding. They used to terrorize this town and nobody could sleep well at night. But now that they are gone, there is peace. This is the very reason not to go looking for them, Leo. We don't want them coming back, if they even still exist anymore. There are people who can be contacted if you ever happen to see a ghost around. One or two can easily be gotten rid of. So I need to trust you that if you ever happen to come across one, you'll tell me, alright?" Vlad patted the boy on the back and smiled kindly to him. "I want nothing more than the safety of you kids as well as the town. It's my old mayor instinct, perhaps." He laughed.

Without either agreeing to or rejecting the idea, Leo changed the subject. "So…what was this machine for then?"

"Oh! Right! The reason I brought you down here is…this here machine that can determine whether a person's DNA is human or ghostly. And it gives quite accurate percentages too. You don't know how much money went into this particular item. In fact it is one of my most prized possessions. That is why I keep it down here."

Leo's legs became like jelly. He had to lean against another machine to keep his balance. He was so glad his father wasn't looking at him because Vlad might be able to tell that something was not quite right in Leo's demeanor. "Why are you telling me all of this?" The kid asked boldly. "Why me? Or did you already tell…"

"No, your siblings do not know, and I'd prefer if you kept it that way. Don't mention our little chat to anyone, alright?" Vlad did not look back at Leo, but he could see the boy's face through the reflected view on one of the panels on the machine. "Well…I have reason to believe there is a possibility _you_ are not entirely human."

"W-w-what are you saying?" Leo stammered, biting his lip accidentally on the last word. He didn't know whether to step forward to get a better look at the machine or to step back and make a run for it. His brain was overloaded! He wanted to throw up, but he had to keep himself composed in front of his father. Leo knew Vlad was a great man, and he would hate to disappoint him.

"Um, there is just a…_small_ chance you might have come in contact with ghostly DNA." Vlad lied, but Leo had no way of knowing that. Leo had never come in contact with raw ghost genetics in his life; Vlad made sure of it. Even then what Vlad was about to imply would be impossible but Leo didn't know that. "If that's the case, then I'd be obligated to remove it from you. I can't have it living inside of you like an infection."

"What? No! What are you even talking about? I've never even seen a real ghost, okay!" Leo was on the verge of crying now as his voice trembled. "Thousands of times I wished and hoped but I never actually found proof that ghosts exist." He looked down and away in shame. "How would you remove it from me, if this even was true?" Unbeknown to him, he was far more special than his siblings. The real adventure was about to begin, but it would be a long time before he discovered who he really was, and what all that entailed.

Deep down in the room below Vlad's private study, the old man's conversation with the young teen continued as Leo had just asked a question that could turn the tables. Vlad's quip was one to be remembered. Vlad rounded on Leo with a very grave look. "Oh but if the ghost was in disguise, how would you ever know?" Leo gasped. "That's right; you wouldn't. If some ghosts didn't look enough like humans, how could they sneak in and manipulate our world?"

Leo frowned. It was like Vlad had a million faces and he shifted into them at the most random of times. The man had the poor boy so confused with everything now. Leo wanted to see Karmen on Friday but what if Vlad found out? What would happen to Karmen if Vlad discovered she was a ghost?

"This is a very serious matter. I need to test your DNA. The most accurate way to test is by saliva, and so you must provide a direct sample." Vlad explained. When Leo hesitated, Vlad continued talking which made Leo all the more uncomfortable. "You'll cooperate, won't you? If you are beginning to question me, then just remind yourself how I would never do anything to harm you or potentially put you in danger. I always have your best interests in my heart."

Leo double-blinked and stepped forward, deciding to trust the man he had only ever known to do good to him. Why had Leo begun to doubt anyways? It should have been simple to believe his father. Somehow the fine line between what was reality and what was fantasy was beginning to disappear in Leo's mind as he finally wrapped his mind around the fact that ghosts were actually real. Soon the line would begin to disappear altogether. "So you want me to _spit_ into the machine?" The boy asked carefully.

Vlad nodded, as Leo did so. It was a plain and simple easy task. But Leo didn't feel right about it. In fact he felt rather sick like he was going to throw up still. "Go upstairs and don't tell anyone about what happened." Vlad said in the kindest tone possible. He watched Leo slowly trek the stairs and listened to him leave the study. Leo passed Aiden on the way to the kitchen. Leo opened the refrigerator with a shaky hand as he got out some ice cream, hoping to bury all of his thoughts as he ate some.

All the while Vlad was hoping he'd find a loophole in the malfunction of the DNA sequencer, or at least some key clue or fact that he had been missing before. The general idea behind the sequencer was that it would scan the subject's genetics from both parents as well as the subject's own genetics, therefore forming a pundett square of dominant and recessive genes. Vlad scientifically proved that the known ghosts of Amity Park were members of a species and not a life stage, as people often confused the two things despite their obvious differences.

Vlad paced impatiently as the machine hummed, beeped, and whirred. Its internal fan came on which Vlad could hear. That meant the thing was getting overheated and overworked. It heated up fast when it was faced with an odd subject. Vlad had his fingers tightly crossed that the machine wouldn't fail this time. He eyed it carefully, trying not to blink much. The sequencer made its best attempt to map Leo's genetics based on pairs of chromosomes. All natural DNA came in pairs, which was a scientific _law_.

At least, that's what Vlad had learned. Laws were made to be broken though, as Vlad often believed. The more time he wasted thinking on this sequencer and obsessing over it, he only grew increasingly frustrated. Eventually he had to go to bed, but had high hopes as the thing still seemed to be working. The next morning, the results of Leo's DNA had completed—crash-free. It was a freaking miracle! At long last, the true results were revealed!

Vlad studied the data intently, reading and rereading everything over about four or five times. His eyes widened as he took in all the information. The hardest part about reading this was that he had to force himself to accept it. "Oh butter biscuits—this isn't possible…this is a real problem." He muttered to himself. The old man was in panic for a few moments. He took a few seconds to relax while he thought over the possibilities.

Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing after all. Leo certainly was _unique_. A new kind. A new species, potentially. A one of a kind hybrid. A freak; but at the same time, a wonder. Leo was, in some ways, considered a mutation, but not actually. He had been born this way. Most children were one of many possible combinations of their parents—as in, rarely did one parent's genetics dominate. However with powers, it was a different case.

Most children who had at least one hybrid parent were likely to inherit lesser amounts of the powered genetics, giving them overall less power capability. With two hybrid parents, especially unique people like Danny and Cecelia, things were bound to get tricky. Vlad could only guess that Cecelia's genetics had been split similar to Danny's, but with her powers being of a different nature, Vlad could never really know.

Vlad did know one thing almost positively—that there was no way Leo's DNA could remain stable for long. Then again, Vlad had no idea what he was up against. Taylor and Aiden were both practically normal but Leo was the rare combination. He had inherited powers from both parents. Not only was Leo human, but he was part ghost like his father, and part electric like his mother. He was a tribrid, with a three-way equal split.

There wasn't enough ghost DNA in him to be able to transform like his father, which meant he couldn't have nearly as many powers as Danny but he had to have some. Leo had his mother's special human-electric genetics, therefore the human side dominated and that's what he looked like—human. No way could he have all of her powers either. Despite having weakened versions of both parents' powers, in total, Leo still had more power itself than either parent by themselves. For now Vlad let the boy go…let him think he was normal. But there would come a day soon when Leo would have to face what he was and deal with it.


	9. Chapter 9: Truth Be Told

**Chapter 9: Truth Be Told**

It was getting late in the afternoon. Taylor was bored stiff. Leo left because he had been invited to hang out at the movies with Casey and Lolito. Taylor turned them down because…being seen would tarnish a near-perfect socialite life. No, that wasn't the real reason. She didn't want to deal with Casey, whatever his problem was.

She laid there on a couch bored until she reached over and pulled a book off the shelf at random. It was an old diary mostly filled with doodles. There was nothing else to do, so the girl picked up a pink feathered pen and began to write. She pictured her collective words as a flashback type of scenario.

_"If my life was a movie, Leo would be the main character. He'd be the hero and I'd be the coward. Leo says he's too shy to do anything bold, and I know I'm the one who parades around like I own the world but…I wonder if Leo and I aren't so different after all. But on the other hand, we sometimes seem worlds apart. He always puts the needs of others before himself. I wish I could be like that, but to be honest, those thoughts just don't come to me. I wish they did though. I wish I could be the hero of my own life, but for now that role belongs to him." _

Taylor mentally asked herself what in the world she was writing, and then she just scratched that whole paragraph out and put the book back. What had been driving her crazy all of this time really was Karmen—her best friend. They laughed together, smiled together, and sometimes just wanted to wreck the world together. Cheer sisters were for life, and Taylor believed that. Before she knew what she was doing, she stood up and changed into something a little more appropriate for the cool evening.

Taylor thought about how Karmen had been absent from school for a week and a half now and hadn't given Taylor any call or communication whatsoever. It was high time Taylor dropped by the girl's place of residence and gave her a visit! Or, tried to. It didn't even strike Taylor as being a bit odd in going out at this hour. She looked around the house for Vlad but there wasn't time and so she just texted him telling him she was going to be over at Karmen's house.

Taylor walked briskly to the address she had written down on her hand from the school directory. As she walked, Taylor was stricken by the thought of how in the past it had always been Karmen coming to _her_ instead of the other way around. To say the least, Taylor had been to this house before, but had never come at a time when Karmen's parents were around.

Come to think of it, Taylor had never met or even seen Karmen's parents. The topic of parents didn't even come into their conversations much. In fact Taylor knew very little of Karmen's home life except that she _had_ parents. But after all that had happened, Taylor wasn't even sure of that one fact anymore. Taylor couldn't really be certain of anything now.

The brunette tapped lightly on the front door. Wouldn't it be awkward if a parent answered? Taylor just realized she gave no warning to show she was coming! She didn't even text Karmen! Taylor did that immediately as she had remembered. While waiting for someone to come to the door, Taylor's mind wandered and she noticed that the front lawn of Karmen's house hadn't been cut in a long time.

All the windows were dark, and a slight layer of dust was evident on the inside, and a layer of dirt on the outside. Was the family on vacation? No. How did Taylor know? Because she heard someone's approaching footsteps coming from inside the house! Each step made the girl's heart pound more and more. She had to snap out of it. All that ghost talk with Leo sure had left her paranoid.

As a matter of fact, it happened to be Karmen herself who opened the front door. She left it ajar just enough to poke her head out but did not let Taylor inside. The green-haired girl looked a bit unhealthy, but based on her facial expression alone she seemed she could have been an entirely different person. In all the while that Taylor had known Karmen, she had never seen her so down. Taylor forced a polite smile as old habit had taught her to do.

In the moonlight, Karmen's face had a tint of green. Her eyes had dark bags underneath. "What do you want?" She asked Taylor in a slow and groggy voice. Suddenly the two friends became like strangers to one other. There was a suspenseful omen in the air…so unnerving…quite unsettling…a terrible air around them.

Dusk had begun to set in and Taylor bit her lip as she considered what to say. "I just wanted to know what happened to you." She said softly. "You're my best friend. And you never called or texted back. I got worried. Best friends tend to do that, you know. What's…what's gotten into you?" Taylor asked, squinting. "It's like you don't know me at all."

Karmen's eyes were only half open. She was obviously tired. She blinked a few times as she fought to keep from passing out. "Then I guess we're not friends anymore." Karmen attempted to shut the door but Taylor stuck her foot in the way just in time.

"No!" Taylor protested as she crossed her arms she did that when she got mad. Her eyes lit up like firecrackers. "Just wait a minute now! Let me get this straight. So, I come to your house and tell you that I'm too good a friend to ignore the fact that you've been ditching school for over a week. And I come over here to help you with whatever's going on, and you tell me we're not friends anymore?! I think I have a right to know what in the world is going on!"

Karmen shushed Taylor and then looked all around suspiciously. Taylor tried to follow the other girl's gaze but there was nothing around out of the ordinary, at least nothing Taylor knew of. Karmen sighed. "I'm not _ditching_ school. I'm _dropping out_ of school. My parents already told the teachers."

Taylor's eyes widened. "What? But I thought you wanted to get all A's? Since when were YOU a rebel? Since when were adults okay with that?! Your parents are okay with totally abandoning your education? That's awful! Well even if they're fine with it, psh, _I'm_ not! I can't let you do that…not after all the studying you've done and all the good marks you've gotten and all the plans you made…gosh Karmen where did it all go wrong? I can't let you throw away your future, you understand?!"

The green-haired chick heaved a deep sigh once more and just shook her head. "Taylor…I don't even know where to start. But let's just say…you know very little." From inside the house, a daunting, echoing voice told her to pack some boxes. That had to be one of her parents. Karmen went inside and she left the door open wide enough for Taylor to follow.

The brunette looked around after coughing a bit because of all the dust. Eventually she would get used to it. The house was dark. All the furniture was gone. Everything was packed away in boxes. Was Karmen _moving_? Karmen picked up a few coats that were in one box and moved them to another. Taylor stood by her friend. "If you have a problem, you know you can talk about it with me, right?"

Karmen just groaned. She turned around wearily and looked Taylor in the eye. "You wouldn't understand. I don't want to move. It's more of an I-have-to thing. My parents and I only have a brief opportunity to go back to our original home and they've been bent on getting back since before I was born. We got stranded out here, ya know. They never meant for me to grow up in Amity Park. It was an accident."

"Is your new place going to be far?" Taylor inquired.

Karmen looked down. "_You won't understand_." She insisted, teeth clenched. This was a totally new side of her. Or was it a part of her that she had kept secret all these years? "You're a preppy girl caught up in popularity, boys, shopping, and having fun. That's basically your life. You do whatever you want and you're happy with it. I have all those same interests. But with me, there's more than meets the eye." Karmen scoffed. "I can't even believe I'm entertaining this…okay. Fine. I'll give it a go. Do you believe in ghosts?" She asked, biting her lip.

Taylor hesitated. She didn't know how to respond. That was such a random question. "Yes." She admitted in the hopes that it was the answer Karmen wanted. "Do you?"

"My parents are ghosts…my whole family is ghosts." Karmen sighed and paced a little. "_I_ am a ghost. I was born a ghost to them. We're not dead people; we're just a different kind. My parents used to have fun trashing Amity Park when they were much younger but now that it's become their home they had to leave it alone and keep telling themselves we're just passing through. All entrances to the ghost world had been closed off for the past thirteen years and by some fluke now they're finally open again. We don't know how long this will last so we had to pack up and get going while we could."

Karmen's parents came into the room. Karmen's mother was that ghost woman Taylor had seen the other day at school. Karmen's father was a pasty-faced blond biker dude with bad acne. But he had human-colored skin. That was probably where Karmen got her skin color from. Taylor gasped reflexively just at the sight of them. It was all a bit of a shock. If she had time, Taylor liked to think she could get used to all of this.

"That's what I am." Karmen restated as if Taylor still didn't know. "I'm like them, not like you." Taylor stared at her friend, whom she had known for years. The brunette thought she knew everything about Karmen…until now. This was a pretty big secret Karmen had been hiding. And since Karmen had been living among humans her whole life, she probably never told _anybody_. So THIS explained why Karmen never tanned. Taylor glanced at Karmen's parents.

"I'm Kathryn. But you can call me Kitty." The woman introduced herself neutrally and she glanced over at the man.

"And I'm Johnathan but I go by John these days." The man gruffly said. "It used to be Johnny when I was younger, but, don't push it."

They took a good look at Taylor, and then went about their normal business again. John treated Kitty as more of a girlfriend than a wife. Karmen went back to packing. Taylor looked over Karmen's shoulder. "Where exactly are you moving to?" Taylor asked. "In this other world? You still haven't told me if it's far away."

Karmen chucked nervously. "I'm surprised you didn't freak out. Knowing you, Taylor, you'd probably run off screaming." She laughed briefly and then lost her cheer again. "At least that's what I thought before. But I guess this day is full of surprises, huh?" Karmen turned around. "So what changed your mind?"

"C-curiosity." Taylor replied rashly. "Ever since I started learning about the history of ghosts in Amity Park, I suppose I've been a little more interested in the subject. Leo showed me everything there is to know because he's always been a believer." Karmen looked up at the mention of the boy's name. "I've always doubted, that is, until he was able to convince me. There's just something about ghosts that just…fascinate me now, just like with him. I've done my research. I'd never judge you, my friend, Karmen, ghost or not. The only thing that changed is that now I know. You're the same person you were an hour ago."

A smile of appreciation flickered across Karmen's face. "Kind words won't change what's already been set in stone. My parents and I are taking refuge in the ghost zone while we still can. We have to move. See, before I was born, my parents were taking their honeymoon here. They spent three months down in Florida. When they went back to the portal to the ghost zone, they found out it was not working. They checked other portals too. All of them were closed. Dysfunctional. Inoperable. They've been stranded here ever since. And we're not the only ghosts stranded here so I'd imagine it'd going to be a long wait getting in so the sooner we start the better."

"Wait, wait, wait! You're telling me that there are more ghosts who walk among us!?" Taylor's eyes goggled as Karmen nodded. "And ghosts have their own dimension?!"

"Zone. It's more of a zone. Or you could call it a realm. It's sometimes considered the flip side of the human realm."

Taylor raised her eyebrows. Karmen resumed packing her clothes and other various trinkets of hers. "Why was the portal closed in the first place?"

"We…don't know. They have speculations but won't share them with me. I don't really want them to either. All my parents know for sure is that it's open again and we're going back. We're in a hurry because we don't know how long it will stay open."

"So when are you leaving, like, officially?"

"Friday night." Karmen muttered. "It's taken us long enough to get our affairs in order and leave this place forever. I just hope we're not toying with fate.

Taylor had to think for a moment. "But that's…two days from now! You're leaving this Friday night?" Karmen nodded. "I want to see this ghost zone place. I'm really curious. On Friday, my brother Leo and I will see you off. It's only fair, since you've always been there for my hardest times."

Karmen tried to find a way to say no, but she just could not. Taylor was a good friend. They both knew it. "Meet me here at six o'clock Friday night. Don't be late. And by no means are you allowed to follow us into the ghost zone. It's not safe for humans. Do you understand?" Taylor nodded. She turned to leave. "Thank you…for being the best friend I could ever ask for." Karmen said as Taylor left the house.

Upon entering into her own home, Taylor noticed Harley's vehicle in the driveway and she silently cheered to herself. When Taylor opened the front door, she instantly identified Harley along with Jarred and Aiden on the couch. They were watching sports, eating chips, drinking pop and relaxing. Taylor couldn't take her eyes off Harley as he said something that made the other guys laugh.

Taylor went upstairs. Leo was still not back yet. Maybe he was going to stay over at the Baxter house. She was too lazy to text him. She wondered why it took so much nerve for her to just go back downstairs and join the guys on the couch. The more she thought about Harley the less confidence she seemed to have. She did it, eventually, and when Aiden wasn't looking, Harley even put his arm around Taylor. Taylor grinned and pretended to watch the sports. But truth be told, she had a lot on her mind. A LOT.


	10. Chapter 10: Diving In

**Chapter 10: Diving In **

Taylor walked briskly to the limo after a most interesting day of school. After flirting with Harley, listening to Harley's stories of golden sports memories, and actually befriending Lolito, Taylor felt like she was on fire but in a good way. She had more confidence and motivation than ever and there was something she just had to tell Leo. It was the only thing on her mind all the way home. Cheer practice went well today, as usual, too.

Taylor's impatience often compelled her to move even when she did not want to; being slightly spoiled overwrote whatever laziness trait she had. She took off her jacket in a hurry after getting out of the limo so she could get into the house and up to Leo as quickly as possible. She burst into his bedroom and opened the door so fast that the knob slammed hard against the thin wall of his bedroom and it startled her a bit. She jumped slightly, but thankfully no one saw that.

Even the loud sound could not wake the sleeping boy. Oh, that kid could _sleep_. Taylor sighed, trying to figure out some way to wake him up without irritating him. As she paced she thought about how sloppy he looked but then again she shouldn't be surprised by that these days. There he was, in his messy bed with a giant pillow over his head and five blankets around his thin body. He was bound to wake up in a sweat.

When the girl could think of no better plan, she dove right into action. "Wake up…come on…" Taylor tugged on his worn-out, beige tee shirt. She even shook him a little. But he didn't budge. "Leo!" She whisper-yelled. She grabbed his feet to pull him out of the bed, but he held on to the railing. So he _was_ awake now. She had to say something to get him out…something radical. "Leo, Karmen's a ghost!" At last, the trump card had been played, and the room silenced for a bit as the twins seemed to freeze in time. "I would have told you last night, but you weren't home. I knew you'd want to know."

Leo had spent last night at the Baxters' place and stayed for breakfast there too. The Baxters had taken him to school and Taylor didn't get a chance to see him until now. Finally, Leo sat up. "Say what?" The pillow fell off his head, revealing his overly obnoxious bed hair. It was so scruffy when he slept. Those wild blue eyes of his stared back at Taylor. "No way! How can that be…all this time? And she didn't tell us! I mean you. She didn't tell you after all these years? She waited until now? Wait, how do you even know this is true…Taylor…if you're lying to me about something like this…" He looked serious but he didn't have the wherewithal to finish that sentence.

Taylor avoided making eye contact. "It's true. No I'm not lying. Would I really make something like this up? Get this: Karmen's going back to the ghost world on Friday night! That's why she told me. I had to pry it out of her because I didn't want to buy the fact that she's suddenly moving out of the country to a place where we can't reach her over technology which is what she told me over the phone today. In this supposed ghost zone, there's no signal for cell phones except within the zone itself. Isn't that like totally cray-cray? We have to go with her and say our final goodbyes because we may never see her again. Alright? This is my best friend we're talking about! We _have_ to be there! I want to know everything about her."

"You're…insane." Leo staggered sleepily, pointing a finger at her shocked face. He pulled the covers off his body and he stood up. He wasn't very steady because he was still half-asleep. "…I don't even know Karmen that well." He confessed sadly. "I wish I did though. I doubt she'll miss me. After all, to her I'm just a nobody…"

Taylor was clueless. "What's all this negativity all of a sudden? Come on, Leo, you're a positive thinker like me! Ugh, I don't like that distant look in your eye."

Leo had zoned out for a brief moment. "I don't know what you're talking about." He followed up rather quickly and then shrugged. "I guess I'm just a little depressed that it had to be her, that's all. And now that she's leaving…phew…give me a chance to take this all in, okay?"

"But you'll get to see ghosts. I thought that stuff was cool to you…or are have you become a non-believer?"

"I don't even know, Taylor." Leo shook his head sadly as memories of his talk with Vlad filled his mind. Leo tried to shake those thoughts but they wouldn't leave. "I really don't know. So what?" He mentioned apathetically. He always tried to avoid conflict but he really didn't know what to do about this whole Karmen situation. He had quite the crush on her and obviously didn't want her to move. Now hearing that she was a ghost made her all the more cool, yet frightening at the same time. Leo had to learn what it was that made Taylor so sure.

"Okay, and for your sake, I've decided I'm going to give Lolito a second chance." Taylor said proudly. "I think he'd like to come with us, even though he doesn't know Karmen. He seems to be just as keen on ghosts as you are. I've talked with him more and he said being goth has got him into all kinds of weird and freaky things so he can easily believe in anything."

Leo laughed finally. "Lolito has that effect on people, I guess. It's like the halo effect, I guess you could say. He's just a nice guy. I'm glad you were able to see that too." He headed downstairs. "Well I'll be there. Maybe Casey would like to come too, I wonder…"

"NO!" Taylor jumped right on that reply and startled Leo a bit. "Forgive me for the outburst. Um…I just don't like that guy."

Leo scoffed. "Oh come on. I thought you had finally realized not to judge a book by its cover?"

"No, no, that's not what I mean. Casey just seems like the kind of jealous jerk I meet all the time. I mean granted, this kind of attitude is more often found in girls. Casey is someone I just sense would arrogantly turn their nose up at popularity and hate A-Listers for no reason."

Leo blinked. "Really? No reason? Heh you don't know Casey at all. His parents were the king and queen of popularity back in the day and Casey has been pressured by that his whole life. I see your point though, and he does have a certain prejudice against preps. Perhaps adding him to the mix would be a bad idea after all. But I hate keeping secrets from him."

"Then just don't mention it to him at all." Taylor said with a perky shrug. Leo laughed at that and Taylor went to her own bedroom to pick out her clothes for the next day. She hummed to herself, trying to think of a way to get Harley involved too. But what if he should freak out? She didn't want to risk that despite the guy being such an awesome freaking hottie. She had to test him, without him knowing it, so that she could find out if he could handle it or not.

At school, the teacher, Ms. Gray, tried to keep her class focused on the lesson as usual. But Taylor's mind was somewhere else, way far away and completely unrelated to school. She envisioned wild imaginations the ghost world…picturing it image by image, weaving it together like the threads of fabric. What could it possibly look like?

No wonder Leo tended to space out so often during class—he was always too busy painting pictures in his head! Taylor hadn't used her imagination since she was a kid. Part of her felt like she was a child again. She was just glad that she still had an imagination at all. When most kids grew up, imagination tended to wander off on them. Taylor had a weird drive to go out into the ghost world and taste that strange foreign freedom. She wanted to set foot in this place despite Karmen's warning.

Leo was sitting with Lolito, of course. The two of them acted like they'd known each other their whole lives. Leo didn't know if he was ready to drop the bomb on the guy about ghosts. That might ruin their friendship if Lolito didn't believe him. When Lolito looked at his new buddy, he smiled. The goth seemed like the kind of guy who would believe for real.

Taylor found Harley in the hallway and greeted him with a grin. He hugged her. Despite being with his older jock friends he didn't really care what they thought of him being with a younger girl. "Oh hey." His hair was perfect chocolate brown—like a dream of endless waves. He smelled something amazing. His perfect tan skin shined because he was so lean and muscular, but not in the ugly bulky kind of way.

Those bluegreen eyes of his seemed to conceal mysteries as they changed colors like ocean waves. Depending on what Harley was surrounded by, the blue could sometimes be brought out more, and sometimes the green. Taylor wished she could swim in those eyes. He chuckled a little, seeing that he had her in a daze. "So…would you like to hang out with me and a couple of my friends Friday night?" Taylor popped the question. "Unless it's too weird, of course. I totally understand. I'm Aiden's sister, after all."

Harley laughed. "No it's not weird at all. Aiden doesn't really care about your love life, or mine. He's too focused on making his own life flawless. In fact before I ever said anything to him he saw you and I eyeing each other from across the lunch room one day." He shrugged. "And he said I could date you if I wanted, just like that." He took a step forward.

Taylor's eyebrows rose. "Really?!"

"Yeah…" He smiled charmingly. The two of them almost seemed to lean in for a kiss slowly, but they jumped at the sound of the bell ringing. Then they backed away. "Uh…better get to class then." He winked.

"Wait! Will you come to Karmen's house Friday evening at six to say goodbye to her? Cuz she's moving!"

"Of course! Just text me the address." He smiled. The two of them parted ways then, heading off in opposite directions. Taylor felt like she was walking—no, drifting—on a cloud of golden butterflies. Harley had the coolest voice and the kindest smile. It was almost like the guy was TOO perfect. Was it really that easy to get with him? He was a flirt and all, and Taylor was still unsure whether there was only a strong attraction between the two of them or if it was something more.

At lunch, Taylor sat with Leo and Lolito again. Well Casey was there too but Taylor pretended he wasn't. Taylor kept flashing hints at Leo in order to persuade him bring up the whole Karmen thing to Lolito. It would be best to do when Casey was not around, so when said blond boy got up to go to the toilet, Taylor lightly nudged Leo under the table. She believed it would be much better if Leo were to be the one sharing the news.

Lolito would be more likely to believe a nerd like Leo than a princess like Taylor. Out of pure affability, Lolito invited the two of them to study at his house after school when Leo didn't speak up. Taylor and Leo willingly accepted. "You bailed." Taylor whispered to Leo as they got up to leave.

"No, I'll do it after school at his house. That's when I'll tell him. I don't feel comfortable talking about it in school after you told me all about how you-know-what can just walk among us without us even knowing." Leo whispered to his sister on the way out of the lunch room. Taylor groaned. "Don't even think about telling me to stop being paranoid. It's your fault for telling me, after all."

Lolito wasn't stupid. He knew that the twins were hiding something. He had become good at spotting their subtle communicating. He wanted to learn whatever it was that they were being so secretive about, but he also aspired to be _worthy_ of that knowledge. How to attain that status? He needed more information first.

After school was over, Taylor and Leo arranged for their limo driver to take them and Lolito to Lolito's house. Casey came with them, because that was his house too. He didn't like the thought of Taylor coming over and feared her criticizing things. Taylor didn't like the thought of Casey being around for fear off him criticizing her. But Casey and Lolito were grateful for the limo ride because otherwise, they would have had to walk like usual.

And on a cold day like today that would have not been a good idea. Lolito gave the driver directions to the dwelling. The Baxter home was a larger than average yellow-shingled cape cod. It wasn't a "huge" house but it was pretty roomy. It was a quaint home decorated with sportsy wall hangings and exercise equipment and mirrors…lots and lots of mirrors. Lolito informed his friends that his mom was not home but his father was.

Said man greeted his two new guests with a big grin. "Hi there, I'm Dash, Casey's dad and Lolito's foster dad." The muscular blond man gave Taylor and Leo high fives. "So are you in Lolito's dance class that I keep hearing about?" Lolito looked away, embarrassed.

Casey just rolled his eyes and headed up to his room. Once again, Lolito attracted more attention than he did. Casey just hated the fact that his parents accepted Lolito being goth and non-athletic because he wasn't their kid. Said parents didn't accept Casey for being non-athletic though they would never admit it. He was their son and they wanted him to be like them.

"Lolito talks about dance? I'm in it. Leo's not." Taylor spoke. "Dance is one of my favorite hours."

"Oh. Well that's cool. All cool." Dash walked away. It was obvious that he couldn't care less about Lolito's dance class.

"What a fun dad you have." Leo mentioned sarcastically.

Lolito shook his head. He walked upstairs and into his bedroom where Taylor and Leo followed. Lolito shut the door. "My dad is obsessed with sports. He made me sign up for dancing because he wanted me to. The other classes were full anyways so I didn't argue. He just wanted me to take more after him and his wife. His wife and my mom, she was…a cheer captain in high school. And she won beauty pageants when she was little. Both of my foster parents actually went to the same school as my real mother, which is why I feel close to the Baxters even though we are so different."

"Wow." Leo said, intrigued. He felt weird just jumping into this new friend's life like this but it was Lolito himself who wanted to share it so Leo just let him speak his mind. He and Taylor wanted to be there for this guy, just to listen.

"They're the only family besides the Changs that even remotely knew my real family. Back in the high school days, my real parents and the Baxters weren't friends. But when I was a toddler, they must have been close enough for my real parents to entrust me to them. The Baxters never told me why, or gave me many details at all…all I know is that I've grown up here, with them."

"That's quite a story." Taylor said with a huff. She couldn't relate at all, but then again, she shouldn't be trying to. Without realizing it, she had started to understand Casey more as well. She pitied him for being the geek he was with parents like that…parents Taylor wished she had. Lolito showed the twins pictures on his computer of the Baxter couple when they were younger and Taylor grinned, briefly imagining she was their child. But there was no way—Taylor knew her real parents were dead. "Are you okay?" Taylor asked without thinking.


	11. Chapter 11: Taking Flight

**Chapter 11: Taking Flight**

Lolito turned around to face Taylor, surprised at her question and her concern. "Huh?" He asked, completely dumbfounded.

Taylor realized how stupid it was of her to say that. Oh well, she was beginning to care. She couldn't take it back so might as well roll with it. "Are you okay living with the Baxters and not your real parents? Okay with not knowing much at all about them?"

"Taylor!" Leo scolded. "Geez! Don't say things like that!"

"It's okay." Lolito assured them with a nod. "I managed to get some details about them from my foster dad once because apparently my mom used to tutor him in math and science. My mother was a good person and a beautiful lady. Oh she wanted me so bad and loved me so much when she finally got me. My father was so proud to have a child of his own and it's understood that my very existence made him grow into more of a man because he was apparently quite immature. I never understood why they felt they had to give me up."

"Why did they have to?" Leo asked.

Lolito just shrugged. "That's the mystery of it. I haven't a clue where they have wound up now, more than a decade later."

"What are their names?" Taylor felt compelled to give Lolito a hug after such a sad story. "Do you know?"

"Tucker and Jasmine." He answered. "But everyone always called her Jazz growing up. I don't know her last name. If I could just get ahold of my birth certificate…I…never mind." The goth boy almost laughed. "Questions don't bother me at all. I was kinda too young to know what was going on back then anyways. When I imagine a father now, all I can see is the mighty, successful, and popular football star Dash Baxter. He's the coach of the middle school football team. I think I neglected to mention that. But just between us, be glad he's not the high school coach or else he'd pressure Casey to be on the team." The twins instantly broke into laughter despite Lolito trying to hush them down.

"He wouldn't last two minutes!" Taylor laughed out.

"Neither would you." Leo pointed out in accurate observation.

The group settled down to study some school stuff since there was nothing left to say. They studied three of their school subjects and then they moved on to algebra. Algebra was Lolito's weakest point. But Leo was good at it. There was just something about Lolito that was humble and welcoming. "Lolito, are you busy Friday night?" Taylor asked once the mirthful mood of picturing Casey on the football team died down. Leo stared at her.

"Well that was random." Lolito laughed slightly, trying to hold back a light blush. "But no, in fact, I am not."

Taylor and Leo smiled simultaneously. "Then how'd you like to meet someone you thought you knew very well, but actually missed one rather big detail about her?" Leo asked. Lolito raised his eyebrows. "You remember Karmen, right?" Leo continued. "Well she's a ghost. A real one. And if you want, you can come with us to bid her farewell as she goes back to the ghost world. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. It'll be the coolest thing ever! Are you going to come?"

Lolito wasn't sure whether or not to believe them. "A-a real ghost?" He stammered about. "Are you entirely serious?" They nodded. He gave himself a moment to let the thoughts settle into his mind. Ghosts? Actual ghosts? "That sounds like a real adventure, heh heh. I don't think you guys would never lie to me, so I'll tell you right now—I don't want to pass up the chance to see real ghost. I love the paranormal. I study it all the time."

Taylor patted Leo lightly on the arm. "Sounds like someone I know." And the blue-eyed boy smiled.

"When I was a kid, I used to wanna look up ghosts on the internet and read all kinds of articles. This was because when I was even younger, my foster mom used to always tell me stories about Danny Phantom and his team. She said she and dad were a small part of it all, and always wished their roles could have been bigger, but they always felt held back."

"_Danny Phantom_…" Taylor whispered in awe.

"He's everywhere." Leo mentioned quietly.

"Something changed in mom's eyes whenever she talked about the ghost man. She had this distant wistful, wishful look. She was happy and sad at the same time. I'm doing a rotten job at explaining it, I'm sure, but the point is that it always confused me. I didn't totally believe in him until I saw her in the pictures with him. I asked her and dad to tell me more about Danny Phantom, but they got all nervous whenever I mentioned it. It seemed they had said too much already, and refused to speak of him again."

"I want to see those pictures!" Taylor pleaded excitedly.

"Oh they're long gone now." Lolito said with a shrug.

"Do you think Casey would know anything?" Leo asked.

Lolito shook his head. "Not any more than I did, because we heard the same stories." The group started to actually get some studying done. They had three tests tomorrow, and none of the trio of teens were prepared in the least. Lolito wondered if Casey would like to study with them so he took the privilege of going across the hall to Casey's room and inviting him in. Casey was all sweaty, from what seemed to be exercises he was doing. But try as he might, he was still skinny as a beanstalk.

"Lolito…" Casey started. "I already studied. I told you. I've been working on my personal routine and practicing my archery."

"Well we have some tests tomorrow." Lolito reminded him. Even though they were not in the same grade they still had the same classes.

Enraged and shocked, Casey's demeanor instantly transformed. "_Lolito_!" He bellowed, clenching his fists now. "I thought I told you to tell me at least three days in advance before a test!" He roared.

Lolito rolled his eyes. "And I thought I told you to pay attention in class like everyone else…" Taylor and Leo wondered if this would heat up into a fight. They also wondered if things were like this all the time. Lolito was so docile that the twins theorized that Casey would walk all over him but they didn't have time to find out what this would escalate to.

They could all hear the thudding footsteps of Mr. Baxter approaching. "What's all the commotion?" Dash demanded as he entered, eyeing each of the four kids separately. He strongly hoped that one of them would produce an explanation so that he didn't have to come up with another question. Casey rolled down the sleeves of his jackets to cover the bruises that he had gained from a typical week of school. The blond teen just glowered at Lolito, frozen and dumbfounded.

"Looks like Casey has a bully problem." Lolito mentioned quietly. "…From both sides." He added, giving the impression that Casey was a bully himself but at the same time was bullied by others.

"Lolito, how could you?!" Casey clenched his teeth.

Dash attempted to calm down his son with a few pats on the back. "What? My sport has a problem with bullies?" He turned to Casey as Lolito sat back down with the twins. "Are you sure the other guys on the football team aren't just messing with you? They do that all the time in high school. It's just dudes being dudes. It doesn't stop, even when you get older."

Casey nodded. That was the only way to get his father to leave him alone—by going along with whatever he said. Just as Casey had predicted, Dash walked away. Taylor and Leo exchanged glances, and then looked at Casey. The blond teen was thin, and non-muscular. He had glasses, freckles and a shadow of braces that had been recently removed. His skin had the startings of bad acne. His whole getup didn't exactly scream "sporty" to anyone. The _only_ thing sporty about this kid was his jersey shirt. And it wasn't even his—the shirt was overly baggy on Casey because it had been his father's and Dash was all muscle. Casey was all…skin.

Taylor blinked. "Are you even _on_ the football team?"

Casey sneered at her. "You should know. You look like the kind of girl that would keep tabs on football guys. Probably just the good-looking ones though, so you can find out who's single." He said with spite. Taylor scoffed. "Don't act like it isn't true. I've seen you with Harley and Jarred."

"I'm not _with_ anyone, and for your information, they're my brother's best friends!" Taylor argued, despite being bad at it. Casey just rolled his eyes and walked away, heading back into his room to study on his own. Taylor and Leo thought about just how much excitement there was in this house on the average day. They were grateful for their large quiet house for once.

Lolito waited for Casey to get far enough away, and then he faced his friends and whispered to them. "Dad pulled some strings to get Casey on the football team. So technically he is a player, but he does nothing except mess up. I pity him."

Leo remembered something. "My brother Aiden sometimes talks about a kid on the football team who's a joke…just putting that out there."

"That's Casey." Lolito said seriously. "Sometimes I feel sorry for him. But ya know if he really wanted to be off the team, he could have just told dad the truth already." The other two nodded in agreement. Lolito mentioned how there were actually two more members to the household which the twins had yet to meet—Jordan and Beverly Baxter, who were Casey's younger brother and sister. Lolito implied that it was not wise to cross these two, however meeting them was unlikely because they spent most of their time outside or at friends' houses.

Friday night soon came. Taylor and Leo got dropped off at Karmen's house at the allotted time. When they got there, Harley was already present and waiting outside for them. He grinned as he saw Taylor and they embraced immediately. "Hi…" Leo started out polite, and then turned to bluntness. "What are you doing here?"

"I invited him. Just roll with it." Taylor said with a laugh. Moments later, Lolito arrived, having walked the entire way here. "Are you ready for this, boys?" Taylor asked with a grin. The four of them walked up to the front door of the house, rang the bell, and then knocked. It was a few awkward minutes later before Karmen answered the door. She obviously wasn't expecting a crowd but was at the same time flattered that all these people cared to wish her a fond farewell. She hugged Taylor first and saved Leo for last.

Karmen invited the gang inside and then introduced her friends to her parents and vice versa. Karmen's parents were neutral about the teens knowing the secret, but didn't seem happy that so many of them had all showed up here. Leo was an easygoing guy who did not like to be rushed along so naturally he thought there would be some quiet chatter first but instead, Karmen got right to the point. The boys were here to see something spectacular and that was what they were going to get.

Karmen provided a brief example of her powers by using telekinesis to levitate an old broken lamp and then used an ectoplasmic energy blast to destroy it in midair. The gang clapped, but Karmen shrugged it off modestly as it was just common nature to her kind. Leo marveled at the thought of having real powers.

"That was totally wicked!" Lolito grinned.

Next, Taylor, Leo, Harley, and Lolito followed the ghost girl outside where a vehicle just appeared in front of them, causing them to all take a step back in surprise. It was glowing green. "It's a special high-class ghost vehicle made by Skulktech. They make the best there is in ghost technology of all sorts. And sell make their vehicles in the human world so that's how we got ahold of this." Karmen explained.

"What are you waiting for?" John asked the teens.

"Everybody, get in now, unless you'd rather stay here." Kitty told the group.

Karmen's parents took the front seats. Karmen and Taylor sat in the middle. Leo, Harley and Lolito sat in the back row. Karmen's father revved he engines to wake the thing up and prepare it for flight. All of their possessions were loaded onto here kind of like a moving truck. The vehicle took off into the air. Taylor gasped. "We're flying!" She turned around to Leo and the other guys to see their reaction. Leo was on cloud nine. Lolito seemed to be enjoying himself rather well though he held on tight to his seat. Perhaps he was nervous about heights.

"Are you really that surprised? It's a ghost car, princess." Harley teased. Taylor giggled. She was too oblivious to realize that Harley was taking the whole supernatural thing a little too lightly. He was a pretty cool guy who wasn't known to get too worked up but there was something odd about the way the existence of ghosts didn't shock him at all.

"Way to be mature." Lolito joked. Leo and Taylor laughed. Karmen smiled. Conversation continued, though it mostly involved people asking Karmen questions.

They must have been flying for a half hour before Karmen stiffened up. The others hadn't even been paying attention to how far they were from their homes now. "We're getting closer to the portal." She announced. "I remember we tried to go back home many times when I was a little kid, before my parents finally gave up on the gateways ever being open again. I've just never seen the portal _open_. It's so exciting!"

They were nearing an old abandoned warehouse. Of course. No one would expect a portal to be in a large old building in the middle of the ghetto. Taylor was just surprised that they had been allowed to come along this far. And now here they were, so close to seeing the ghost world that Taylor and Leo had only ever dreamed of.

The ghost car was inched towards the building at high velocity. "We're gonna crash!" Lolito shouted fearfully. He, Leo, and Taylor all closed their eyes and screamed. Harley braced himself quietly.

"Oh hushup." John said to the kids. "You should just learn to trust me and my driving skills. I've done things like this before, all the time. Open your eyes now." Slowly and carefully, they obeyed. The ghost vehicle defied the laws of physics and…went _through_ the wall. It went through solid brick! It seemed to happen in slow motion too. That wasn't even possible, and yet it had happened. Taylor just gaped, feeling like her mind had just exploded all around her. They truly _had_ entered a completely different way of living. There were so many things that Taylor would never look at in the same way again.


	12. Chapter 12: Goodbye And Hello

**Chapter 12: Goodbye And Hello**

"Ghosts can phase through solid objects." Karmen explained to those who did not know, as she had done for many things already. She tried to keep a straight face but she couldn't when she saw Taylor's hammy reaction. Taylor burst into laughter, because she really did not know what else to do here. This was all so out of her league, and Karmen couldn't help but laugh also. Leo joined in, but Lolito and Harley kept quiet.

"Here we are—our ticket to home." Karmen's father announced. John was a very blunt and serious man, with a certain coldness in him that Taylor couldn't understand. Did it come from maturity and age, or from something he had experienced in the past? Everybody came to the front of the vehicle where they could see a strange object before them. Taylor didn't even know how to define it. Once again, she was dumbfounded. Only a few feet away from them stood a gigantic portal of glowing green that was the gateway to an endless ectoplasmic world.

There were also strange spots of yellowish gold in the sky of the ghost world. John and Kitty didn't seem to notice but that was definitely not how they remembered the realm being. But there were more important things to think about now. Coming into this realm might even be their death sentence, and Karmen knew it too. But Karmen also knew her parents were willing to risk everything just to get back to the realm of their origins.

After boarding the vehicle once more, John drove the vehicle right up to a person, who was wearing a strange purple cloak, and then stopped. The person took off the hood. He was a teenage guy about two years older than Taylor judging by his looks. He floated in midair. So Taylor believed he must be a ghost.

The ghost teen was tough looking, floating there so easily and yet it looked as if he could handle anything. His face lacked any light of humor. The more Taylor stared at him the more she realized his skin actually had a blue tint to it. He approached the driver's window. John rolled it down, as this was procedure for portal entrance and exit now. "What's your reason for coming into the ghost world?" The teenage ghost asked. His voice had an echo to it that mesmerized Taylor a little. When Karmen caught Taylor staring, she elbowed her. "Who are you and what makes you dare come into this realm?"

"We were cut off from home seventeen years ago. Now we're here to move back." John spoke for his family. "It's as simple as that."

"No. These others that are with you…are not ghosts. They cannot be allowed to enter." The teenager replied coldly, narrowing his eyes skeptically. Leo gulped and Taylor felt her heart began to pound with fear.

"But they aren't Tossi!" Kitty blurted out, causing everyone to look at her.

The ghost boy slowly got closer. "Tossi…are the scum of the UNIVERSE!" Taylor jumped a little. "Just look at what they have done to our home…the ghost zone has changed its balance because of them. But soon this fight will end." His voice was grim and quiet, but could easily be heard. "If there is ever a Tossi within my range of sight, I will rip him up with my own bare hands…with my teeth if I have to…until he is nothing more than a pile of blood that I can kick off the edge of an island into infinite doom below."

"We're just regular people…we swear!" Lolito whimpered. "I don't even know what a Tossi is!" He was almost to the breaking point of tears.

Harley tried his best to calm him down. "Take it easy there."

e yelled

The ghost teen nodded and loomed over to the window where Taylor was sitting. She jumped, startled. "What's the reason for bringing these humans here, then?" The ghost boy eyed each of the humans suspiciously. In their own ways, they were very intimidated by him, especially because he refused to acknowledge the equality of anyone who was not a ghost. "What reason could humans possibly have I'm just doing my job. My name is Jasper."

"And what _is_ your job exactly?" Kitty asked bravely.

"I'm the apprentice of the ghost called Clockwork. He's appointed me here to monitor trafficking. My job is to keep the ghost zone as safe as possible and make sure no new problems get in, and that nothing slips out that is trying to escape. We're not just going to let the Tossi run away after all that they have done. They will remain in the ghost zone in order to face the judgment that they had coming to them since the day they were born." His intensity was like a burning flame that affected all of their souls.

"Why has the portal been closed all this time?" John asked Jasper. "We've heard to cover stories and the gossip, but want to find out the truth for ourselves. Truth is so easily muddled by people's clashing opinions. The humans are just hoping to go in and then come right back out. But the three of us ghosts will be staying."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "I'm disappointed that you really don't know. After all this time, sheesh." Since there was no one else waiting in line to come through the portal, Jasper had no excuse not to explain things. Everyone shook their heads. Jasper just scoffed, trying to figure out where to start. "The war is ongoing. The halfa—not his sister, but the original—made everyone aware that the only way to level the playing field is to shut all of the portals so that nobody can get in or out. If we're all trapped in here together, then we all have the same resources and the Tossi can't teleport back to their own realm out of cowardice. It's only just two weeks ago that the portals were allowed to be opened in hopes of discontinuing the stalemate."

"Stalemate?" John questioned critically, with a tint of fear. "Have they really…killed off so many of our kind…that the forces are equal now?" He questioned, though he could not believe the words had even left his mouth. When the Tossi invaded, their numbers were few and conquering the entire ghost zone was a nearly impossible ambition because the population of the native ghosts was so much bigger. But the Tossi killed quickly and mercilessly, and were hard to kill themselves. So a massacre was not improbable.

Jasper hesitated in his reply. "Many have died, but so many are into hiding now that a true head count estimate of the living would be impossible to calculate. There will be a person from the official Team Phantom on the other side of this portal to make sure you get to where you have to go and do not get in the way."

"Team Phantom?" John gasped. "It still exists?"

"Of course! After Team Prism merged back with Team Phantom I knew there would be no stopping it unless they died or something. But don't say I didn't warn you about the warzone. The portals could close again at any time. Humans, enter at your own risk though you may be killed without question if someone misjudges your allegiance. The ghost zone is a zone of great but brutal power and few ghosts are patient." Jasper waved the vehicle on towards the portal. "After gaining knowledge of this all, you may pass." He permitted, at last, stepping out of the way after generating a map for the driver.

John advanced the vehicle slowly. Taylor watched outside the window as globs of green covered the vehicle. Lots of things happened that Taylor couldn't even begin to understand. Her eyes feasted on the timeless wonders of this world. Despite Jasper's given impression that this place would be dark and grim, Taylor refused to change her hopeful view on things. She would always regard this place as a brilliant wonder and it would never cease to amaze her.

When the goo dissipated, the vehicle became lodged on a floating island amidst the green world of ghosts. This island was one of many. John and Kitty supposed the yellow streaks in the sky symbolized the Tossi's claim for power on the area as well as the result of their powers having been released into the ecto atmosphere for so long. Power was something Taylor could never take for granted. It was amazing to her what even the smallest thing could do. Ghosts were used to all of this but Taylor and her friends were seeing it for the first time.

"Wow! I can't wait for you to tell me everything about this place!" Taylor said to katmen in a whirlwind of excitement. "If you don't know where to start…just pick a place! Anything!" Karmen just gave an uneasy shrug. "Karmen? You're not going to tell me anything?"

"Well what did you expect, a picnic?" John retorted. "We have to get a move on. I want to leave here before anyone sees us and get to the designated safe zone as quickly as possible."

"You should probably go back home now." Karmen reminded her human friends. "I'm sorry but this is it. It wasn't supposed to be even this long of a trip. You've seen this world, and now it's time to get back before something happens to you. You've come far enough." Taylor, Leo, Harley, and Lolito stepped out of the vehicle then, hoping to turn back and go through the portal. "I'd love to stay and tell you more, but the longer that you are here, the more of a risk it is for you that someone will see you, if they haven't already. I'm surprised the portal isn't crowded anyways, after all the stories my parents have told me. It probably will be soon."

Karmen hugged them all and then once she got back into the vehicle she waved goodbye to her friends. They waved back. They waved until she was so far off into the green world that they could no longer see her at all. Taylor wanted to cry a little, but somehow she kept it together. It was a sad and kind of awkward moment for all of them. Leo was especially upset, and not just because the adventure was over.

Even still, he had not found the courage to confess his true feelings for Karmen, but he also did not want to leave her with that as her last memory of him because the odds were against them meeting again. The troop of four turned to go back through the portal when they noticed a silver ghost vehicle park on the island. Taylor, Lolito, Harley, and Leo froze. Were they in trouble? They had hoped to go back through without attracting any further attention but they had actually been spotted immediately.

A tall, thin, woman with a short orange bob of slightly frizzy hair emerged. Her eyes were a calm sweet bluegreen like the color of the ocean and her lipstick was really bright red. She approached the teens with a solemn face that did not seem to fit her friendly and borderline spazzy demeanor. She was carrying a newspaper in one hand and a blaster in the other. She was wearing a black leather jacket, a dark red shirt, black pants, a utility belt, and short dark brown boots that looked pretty much indestructible.

"Hello." She started automatically. This was procedure after all. "You can call me Jazz Foley, though I usually go by Jasmine now. I'm an official member of Team Phantom and I've been assigned to give you safe passage to our base located nearby in the realm of the Far-Frozen." She pulled out a card as if that would affirm her status as a member of the organization which the four teenagers knew absolutely nothing about.

Lolito studied the woman's face. There was something warm and familiar about it. The boy felt an almost impossible nostalgia. "Jasmine…Jazz…tall…red lips…and hair the color of carrots…are you…_mom_?" Lolito softly questioned, hoping his uncontrollable urge to talk would not be heard. Oh but it was, and not only was it understood but the woman had something to say back to it after Lolito began to blush crimson out of embarrassment.

The woman raised her eyebrows and her attention was now focused only on the young goth boy. The rut of years of procedure had just been broken all at once in one moment. The woman who was in her mid-thirties suddenly felt years of age melt away as she began to recall the last time she had ever been called that. Having only ever gotten pregnant once, she and her husband, accomplished technological scientist Tucker Foley, had decided not to have any more children so they wouldn't have to live with the guilt and fear that came along with bringing them up in this world.

"…L-Lolito?" Jasmine stammered, breaking her routine curve of confidence. Leo and Taylor slowly grinned. They didn't know what was happening—all they knew was that Lolito and Jasmine soon found themselves interlocked in a hug. Harley was totally lost, having no clue as to Lolito's past, but he was beginning to get an idea. "How did you get here?" Jasmine asked in breathless exasperation. "Is that really you? The sweet baby boy I had so long ago? I used to think you'd always be mine…until I had to give you up again. For a while I thought I'd never see you, but somehow you found your way back to me. The Baxters—did they steer you here? What all did they tell you?"

"How did _you_ get here?" Lolito asked. "I have so many questions, but…no, the Baxters didn't tell me much. I came here with my friends to bid farewell to our friend Karmen and to see this world her parents wanted to call home."

"I take it that was the vehicle that flew off before I could greet them then?" Jasmine laughed though it might have been inappropriate at this time. "I've been here ever since I left you. I'm so sorry about that. There are no words that can express my regrets. I was only supposed to be here for a short while—maybe a few months." Jasmine explained worriedly. As she did so, the other teens stood by, watched, and listen as she waved on other ghosts and small vehicles coming through the portal.

"It's alright. I've had a good home. And I've made some fantastic friends. The Baxters have taken great care of me." Lolito said. "So don't worry."

"I believe it, I do. I'm glad to hear it. Some might argue that I…don't really have the right to worry about you because I've been no more a mother to you than your birth mom. Paulina's been more of a mother to you."

"You're wrong, you know." The goth boy said boldly, cuing a small smile from Jasmine. "If I may say so—though I have only known you for a short while—you were the hope in me. You gave me something to wish for. Without wishes, hopes, and dreams…it's hard for miracles to happen, I think."

Jasmine just smiled and nodded. The other three teens felt especially awkward and Taylor could only begin to imagine how Lolito felt. "When the portal opened again, my first thoughts were about you. The Baxters chose to live a normal life away from all the paranormal drama. As for you, I thought you'd either forget all about me, or you'd hate me for abandoning you. Well, you should know that I'd never abandon you. I just couldn't let you grow up in this warlike world. I would have never been around for you because of the life my duties have given me. Just recently, I volunteered for portal guard duty in the hopes of bringing me closer to the human world again, and eventually you. Yet, so easily, here you are."

"And here I'm gonna stay." Lolito said. "I want to live with you here for a while and get to know you. I'm well aware of the risk, and I don't mind it. But what about…them?"


	13. Chapter 13: Call Her Jasmine

**Wow, finally an update! Sorry for the long break. Its over now XD**

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**Chapter 13: Call Her Jasmine**

In the emotional moment, Jasmine and Lolito had forgotten all about Leo and Taylor. The twins inched slowly away back to the portal, partially out of awkwardness and partially out of fear of staying here for too long. Harley remained in his place with his arms tucked behind his back. In a more serious and formal demeanor than he usually wore, he carefully surveyed their surroundings, keeping an ever watchful eye.

Harley was careful not to let his guard down but that didn't mean he couldn't have made a mistake. After everything that he and his friends had gone through, he should have been a little more shaken up, or fazed, but he wasn't. Not in the slightest. And nobody noticed. He turned his head ever so slightly and made a face at Taylor and Leo. "What are you doing?" He mouthed, but they just shook their heads.

It was obvious they really didn't want to go, especially Leo. He turned back around and glanced at Lolito. The goth looked at his friends and the corners of his lips curled up slightly. He waved to them all, as he believed this to be goodbye. "I'm not ready to leave yet." Leo declared all of a sudden, and Lolito's eyes widened just a little.

Taylor had been waiting for Leo to say something like that because she really didn't want to leave either. "I think I'll stick around for a while too." Taylor decided. "Hey, and you?" She turned to him, and all he did was give a slight nod. Based on his silence, she wondered if something might be up with him but instead of making an inquiry, she just put on a big stupid grin. "Yay! This is going to be great!"

Jasmine smiled kindly at the twins. "As much as I and my family would normally welcome guests with open arms, we are not accustomed to strangers visiting as the portal has been closed for, well, a large chunk of our lives." She sighed, then reconsidered her thoughts. "But it would be kind of heartless to push away my son's friends…he could definitely use familiar faces while in this place. I can't tell you what a relief it is to be around those I know where I can let down my guard a bit. What are all of your names?" She asked.

"We're Britney and Logan. Twins. Though, I think that was obvious." Taylor answered quickly. Leo looked at her strangely. "I'll explain later." She whispered to him, making it apparent she didn't want people here to know their real names. Because of their father's obvious wealth, Taylor didn't want anyone coming after her or Leo because of that. And this place was as good a place as any to begin with a clean slate. Lolito seemed fine with playing along for now, as he was quicker to catch on than the others thought.

"And you're…human?" Jasmine prodded. "Fully human?" The twins nodded.

"I'm Harley by the way." The young man interrupted, calling onto him a sense of formality. He shook Jasmine's hand like a strapping young businessman. The moment they met eyes, there was some sort of unspoken communication between them—come sort of message or acknowledgement. Jasmine didn't know exactly what it was that was going on, but she was good at pretending. She figured by that look that Harley had to know more than people thought he was, especially due to the fact that he wasn't shaken up at all by recent events.

"Nice to meet you." Jasmine replied. "Come with me and I'll take you to the nearest base. It's the only safe place for humans here. You'll have the highest rate of protection and be much less likely to get dragged into the war. No place in the ghost zone is entirely safe, however, you will get used to that nagging adrenaline feeling of always being on edge if you stay here long enough. Yeah, you'll get used to it."

Lolito stiffened up. Taylor and Leo exchanged looks of worry. Harley just gave all three of them a look with a raised eyebrow. "Come on, you guys. This is the adventure of a lifetime—not the time to play chicken." They nodded, knowing that he was right. The group of teens followed Jasmine into her cool vehicle. Lolito sat shotgun and the other three went in back.

The car was silver on the inside, too. The seats were shiny and quite slick with that new sort of look but yet they had an old smell of mud and a mixture of food which had been in and out of here over the years. Actually, the vehicle was more of a bus. Comfortably, it would sit eight, but it could probably fit up to twelve. There was lots of room to put other junk like backpacks and stuff because this vehicle was originally designed to assist migrating families.

Leo began wondering what he got himself into as they drove deeper and deeper into the ghost zone. Then he looked at that twin of his who was still grinning like an idiot. That's right, Taylor had told Jasmine that their names were Britney and Logan. Britney was the name of a fashionable singer from decades ago whose music Taylor liked and Logan was the name Leo would give his son if he ever had one. Leo elbowed her. "Hey, why did you say…"

Taylor leaned in and whispered into her brother's ear. "We couldn't use our actual names because this is a ghost zone after all. I wouldn't want a sketchy ghost to learn our names and trace us by them. They might find out who our dad is!"

Leo nodded in understanding. "Good call. We should probably call him and tell him we won't be coming home for a while. Or, text him and say that we're going to be staying later than we expected to stay at Karmen's house." As he said that, he began to pull out his phone and face-palmed at the realization that there was no reception. How did he not see that coming?! When Taylor realized what he had just done, she laughed.

Harley remained serious, which caused Taylor to stop laughing rather fast. This was Harley! When had he not laughed? Something about his current mood was unsettling to her. Taylor bit her lip to stifle any rebound laughter and sat way back in her seat. She stared out the window at this green world of mysterious space as they flew through its air. It was full of endless possibilities and she was just a speck of it all.

Mentally she groaned at the thoughts of being so small in the grand scheme of things. Patience and humility were two things she had struggled with all her life, and she wondered if being in this place long enough might push her into changing a bit of herself all at once. She sighed, letting her worries deflate out of her like a lot of hot air. There was no use keeping all of that inside.

Up front, Lolito was looking at his mother, trying to erase the old image he had of her and replace it with that of this woman beside him. Lolito understood the reasons for his mother carrying the blaster because this was, in fact, a warzone. But why was Jasmine carrying around a newspaper? It was quite curious. It was not like the citizens of the ghost zone had the time to just slack off for the day and read a newspaper about what was happening in the human world, that is, if this was even a human world paper at all.

In fact, who here would have time to make those things anyways? When he could stand it no longer, Lolito asked Jasmine why she had been carrying the newspaper around so casually. "This is no ordinary newspaper." Jasmine said with a smile. She might have been waiting for somebody to notice it. She had her eyes focused on steering the vehicle, but she could also carry on a conversation at the same time. That took skill.

"Oh really?" Harley asked from the back seat, having his interest piqued.

"Indeed, Harley. This is the Newspaper of Time. It belongs to Clockwork, though I received it from the previous emissary in charge of it. This Newspaper shows the current events of the ghost zone on its pages, and it does not lie. The articles and images change with time based on what is going on. No one knows how this enchanted piece came to be, but I am glad to have it in my possession. Sometimes the Newspaper shows the near future, or it brings back a memory from the past that will become important soon if it isn't already. It's a complicated and ever-changing study but it's one of the things I'm dedicating my life to. In short, it's very special and it's a requirement of my position that I have it."

"What exactly _is_ your job?" Leo piped up. "Whatever it is, it sounds pretty cool."

"Well, I'm an emissary. I'm an official member of Team Phantom, and one of its founders actually. Our main missions are peace and protection. Despite being surrounded by a realm of hate, we are determined to be mediators and stand up for the truth and protect those that can't protect themselves. We've been wrestling with this war for years and it eventually came to a stalemate…" Jasmine sighed, frustrated with herself. "Anyways, I'm getting off topic."

"Team Phantom?" Taylor questioned with intrigue. "Cool."

"We're the only group that doesn't have species prejudice and in fact we have a spectrum of species involved. You might have heard of Team Prism, or you might not have, but the Prism group stemmed from us and became the overall protectors of Blackthorn County once people began to join at a more widespread rate. Team Phantom became the overall guardians of this realm. Our leader, Danny, created the main order of peace and he asked for us all to take jobs in protecting the neutral places in the ghost zone that were fortunate not to fall into the hands of the Tossi. Some inner-realms of this ghost zone have been completely taken over by the Tossi."

"That sounds like a sad predicament." Leo mentioned. "But hey, I thought this ghost zone was a realm. You mean to say, there are realms inside of realms?"

"Well, yes." Jasmine replied, happy to keep them talking and glad for once that her history speech was appreciated. "Technically each of the groups of the floating islands inside this realm can be called a realm. Think of them as sub-realms for now. I can understand how you might find this all confusing." She nodded towards the window. "What we've passed so far are all normal sub-realms reflecting how the ghost zone used to look before it was untouched by the Tossi species."

"I don't even know exactly what a Tossi is, and already I hate them." Taylor admitted. "Ugh, I hate this whole war thing. Why can't people just get over themselves and stop fighting?"

"Yeah! War sounds like a scary thing." Leo mentioned. "I don't really want to get involved in it ever…but uh, please continue talking about it. It's all quite curious, even though it's scary close."

"In other sub-realms, all that remains is a pile of ashes. And the majority of all realms are still battling with the Tossi, thought there is some kind of a stalemate, as I understand."

Lolito nodded. "And you're sure this place you're taking us is safe enough?" He asked, not realizing the shakiness of his own voice. For a moment he almost wished they could go back. The more he heard this talk of war, the more it terrified him that he and his friends might be in danger at this very moment. And it made him nauseous just to think that the mother he had never thought he would meet was in this place risking her life every day. Of course that denoted a certain kind of bravery that was not to be ignored either, but still.

Jasmine sighed regretfully. "I know this is not the answer you want to hear but, I follow my brother's ultimatum of always telling the truth. And the truth is that no place is safe completely." Taylor held Harley's hand reflexively. He let her squeeze him even, but he did not squeeze her back nor did he show any sign of emotion whatsoever. "Our base just has the most protection. It's huuuuuge."

Taylor laughed. Jasmine had the teen's mind in a whirl. Taylor found herself in a childlike state again by feeling instantly impressed. All the other sounds, smells, and thoughts of the current state of things faded out as Taylor pictured this life Jasmine had led. Lolito had one cool woman for a mother and some part of Taylor's heart wished she had one too.

"You'll see things there that you won't see anywhere else in the ghost zone _or_ the human world. It's definitely a wonder, mind you, and a refuge shelter." Jasmine smiled—she couldn't stay serious for long. She was a brainiac who had learned her brother's love for adventure. She used to be a bit silly and awkward and quite the book geek and science nerd but over time she had developed into a really cool adult. "Trust me, its glorious. It shines like a star of hope in this endlessly gloomy world. My brother made sure of that. There's no one that can get Danny Fenton, er, Danny Phantom down. We could all learn a lesson from him."

"What's it like, this base?" Lolito wondered aloud. "Sounds amazing."

The woman smirked. "_Oh, you'll see_." She turned the vehicle and the teens looked out the window. There stood the base just a few minutes ahead. And it _was_ huge. "I'm sure you'll be glad to know that we're finally here. And that my long boring speech is over." Some part of the vehicle beeped in a patterned sequence as it passed through a shield and prepared to land.

"Hardly!" Leo remarked. "You were very informative and not boring in the least. I gotta wonder though, how did you know you could trust us with all of that? You can, but, how did you know for sure?"

Jasmine's smile faded into a more relaxed serious face. "Your eyes." She answered quietly as they all got out. "You're not Tossi—you're not the enemy. Having known Tossi for about two decades, I think I know what to look for now. Your eyes showed a certain innocence and sincerity and those are not the signs of the enemy. If we aren't enemies, then why can't we be friends?" Her smile quickly returned. "That's just a little philosophy of my own to go along with all that which I told you about my brother. I get used to him being the center of attention but every now and then I have my two cents to throw in there." Jasmine winked, which put the group at ease somehow.

Not only was this base spread out and wide, but it also had five floors above ground and an unknown amount underground. There was a massive surrounding parking lot—with weird markings for slots which made it not look much like a parking lot at all actually—where all the strange ghostly cars, trucks, bikes, vans, busses and motorcycles parked. Basically, everyone dumped their travel vehicle there.

That was precisely the area where Jasmine landed her vehicle. In front of them was also the part of the base which had rockets and missiles and other such things. Harley pointed at the rockets. "Why…?" He started to question, and then let his voice trail off because he knew he couldn't deny that these rockets were incredibly cool.

"My brother had a career as an astronaut before he gave it up to come here and try to stop the war." The woman mentioned in admiration. "After the tragic loss of his children, he and his wife either lost or gave up everything that they had in the human world for the sake of this world. It's very rare to find people who are purely selfless. As if missing you wasn't hard enough, I couldn't even begin to imagine what my brother felt like after his blood children died, or even how he was able to carry on. But he did." They headed in the direction of the entrance, following the woman with the short orange bob that swayed back and forth on her head. "And that's the most important part."

"Wow." Leo commented. "That's very noble. I'm completely dumbfounded here. I feel so bad for him and I don't even know what to say."

"It's alright—time has healed those wounds best it could." Jasmine mentioned. "Losing his children is a thing of the past."

"This Danny Phantom guy sounds really cool. Is there any chance we can meet him?" Taylor asked. "It would be an honor just to talk to him. You speak of him like he's a…like a prince, almost. I'm dying to meet him, Jasmine. Is there any way…?"

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**Hey I'm hoping you guys can review soon :D remember to comment what you like about it. Thanks for the read! :)**


	14. Chapter 14: Touring Headquarters

**Chapter 14: Touring Headquarters**

"My brother had a career as an astronaut before he gave it up to come here and try to stop the war." The woman mentioned in admiration. "After the tragic loss of his children, he and his wife either lost or gave up everything that they had in the human world for the sake of this world. It's very rare to find people who are purely selfless. As if missing you wasn't hard enough, I couldn't even begin to imagine what my brother felt like after his blood children died, or even how he was able to carry on. But he did." They headed in the direction of the entrance, following the woman with the short orange bob that swayed back and forth on her head. "And that's the most important part."

"Wow." Leo commented. "That's very noble. I'm completely dumbfounded here. I feel so bad for him and I don't even know what to say."

"It's alright—time has healed those wounds best it could." Jasmine mentioned. "Losing his children is a thing of the past."

"This Danny Phantom guy sounds really cool. Is there any chance we can meet him?" Taylor asked. "It would be an honor just to talk to him. You speak of him like he's a…like a prince, almost. I'm dying to meet him, Jasmine. Is there any way…?"

Jasmine sighed lightly as her orange hair swayed back and forth at her shoulders. She had bangs neatly tucked away in her headband. She popped a peppermint into her mouth from the secret stash of them she had in her jacket pocket. She liked to eat candy whenever she got nervous. And her nerves? She just had a feeling about this moment and these kids…she didn't quite know what it was yet.

Jasmine led Taylor, Leo, Harley, and Lolito into the screening room of the base, all the while reviewing Taylor's question in her mind. The noises of the place such as beeps and distant low chatter were routine to Jasmine so her brain automatically tuned them out, but the teens were hearing them now for the first time. "You want to see my brother? Well, so would I. But it's highly unlikely. Even _I_ haven't seen him much for years; he maybe shows up here and there but he's always busy. I mostly just see his face in the newspaper, if at all. Right now I don't even know exactly where he is, but I've gotten used to that."

Taylor looked down, feeling like a fool as she took in a breath of the clean, filtered air of the base. "I'm sorry I asked." She replied in shame. "I should have known that the head honcho wouldn't have the time of day…but even not for you, his family? His responsibilities must be really…tough."

"That they are." Jasmine's face saddened as they walked through hall after hall. "A couple of years ago, he left for the mysterious dragon realm to talk to the dragon Prince about an old alliance. But he never returned to our knowledge, and we never heard from him or the dragons. We've sent teams over there to investigate when we can but they always return empty-handed. My brother in law, Kibbon Clevely, is our chief ambassador and he was among the first to try and meet the dragon ghosts on friendly relations. You see, as soon as the war started, the dragons got scared and used their powers and artillery to seal off their kind from the rest of the ghost zone. If Danny was even able to get past their firewall, he hasn't come back out."

"Maybe _you_ should investigate." Harley mentioned, and Leo gave a nod of approval.

"Jasmine shook her head. "It's not my job, and neither is it my place. The more you're around here the more you listen to your sense of unspoken responsibility. By doing my duty I can prevent things from happening to other people—I can't undo what's already been done. Besides, I'm just a human. Heading up an investigation by myself would be suicide." She took the teens through the screening process in another room to check if they had weapons. They didn't, of course. That was when one of the security workers made the call that they were each to armed with one small blaster, as was the law requiring humans to have protective and defensive measures if at all available.

"But, he's your brother!" Leo persisted even after seeing the disheartened look on Jasmine's face. The surrounding beeping of the base continued on, seemingly growing louder in the brief silence. Something had just been sterilized down the hall and Leo could just barely hear them down the hall. "Is there really nothing you can do?" He quietly asked, shuffling his feet back and forth on the white tile floor.

"I'm afraid so." Jasmine replied quickly. The mood she had now created for them all felt awkward so she decided to change the subject. "Lolito, your father, Tucker Foley is somewhere in this base. Someone'll show you to him in time and you'll be able to catch up." Lolito grinned at this. Harley wanted to keep Jasmine talking as he was curious about her brother, but he didn't want her to think him suspicious.

Lolito felt the most awkward of all, still, while having to see the mother he barely knew feel this way about Danny. Despite the exciting thought of being related to someone as great and mysterious as Danny, Lolito felt like he might never actually be part of their family as it was kind of thrust on him. At least, that was what he feared. The more he stayed here, the more he felt he didn't belong. He didn't even get a chance to ask her much about his father.

At the doorway, a black-haired lady with a sweet smile on her face stool coolly. She was muscular for someone so thin, and this was attained through years of practice. Her medium-length straight hair was up in a ponytail. She wore a loose pale pink shirt, thick brown pants, and tall black boots. She also had a utility belt that contained a variety of weapons and other things that would assist her if she got into a skirmish. Her sky blue eyes locked on Jasmine and then she gave a slight nod.

"This is where my job ends." Jasmine took a breath of what almost seemed to be relief. "If you want to get a tour of the base, you'll go with my sister here, Danielle Clevely. If she lets you, you may get away with calling her just Danielle instead of Mrs. Clevely. I'll have to be getting back to the portal to see what's going on because I feel my pager vibrating slightly in my back pocket." Jasmine hated seeing Lolito's sad eyes. "I'm sorry, but it's my job. When you need to go back home, my sister or someone else will give you a ride back to the island with the portal. But we'll meet again, I'm sure. As long as you're here observing the base, you'll be under my sister's supervision."

Lolito swallowed up Jasmine in a hug. "But I _just_ got to meet you! I barely got to know you, mom!" Danielle studied hard this boy she presumed to be her nephew.

"It's alright! You'll see me again." Jasmine forced a smile. "But as for my job, it never really ends. I have to be on call every hour of the day, all days of the week."

"Aren't you ever going to…?" Lolito started, but couldn't finish.

Jasmine knew what he meant. "Come back?" She blinked. "I don't know. I've never really been much of a mother. I have a niece and two nephews, but I'm distant with them. If I tried to be a mother to you, I might just end up disappointing you. To meet you was enough of a miracle. Let's just take this one step at a time though, okay?" Lolito nodded.

Harley held Lolito back as he was almost about to follow Jasmine. "Let her go—it's going to be okay. It's also a miracle we were allowed into this thing. Let's not waste the opportunity to observe greatness at work." Jasmine waved goodbye. She went back to her vehicle and flew away. Lolito looked towards Danielle. As he and the others awkwardly approached her.

"Hi!" The lady grinned on cue. "Well, I'm Danielle. Like Jasmine, I'm an official member of Team Phantom! I welcome my nephew and his friends for a tour of the base." Already, the teens could tell Danielle was definitely the bubbly kind of person who couldn't too easily be discouraged even in an environment like such.

Danielle opened the door for the group and they stepped through. The beeping sounds got louder and their individual rhythms were more identifiable. The overall chemical smell of the place hit their noses hard at first, overpowering the initial "clean" smell of the screening area. The teens looked around at the surrounding area filled with all kinds of strange technology that was beyond their current comprehension. Various workers shuffled around in operation of the complicated equipment. Even Harley raised an eyebrow at all the neat settings and colored buttons. Leo pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

There were several computers, desks, noisemakers, and other various gadgets that the gang passed before Danielle finally stopped them in a big room where lots of technical operations occurred. Danielle led the small tour around the desks and cubicles as she spoke. "This is where we coordinate everything. This whole room is a gigantic network of inter-webbing computers."

"Whoa! Sweet." Leo said in awe.

Danielle resumed. "Over there," Danielle pointed to a black man in a green suit and a red hat with glasses, "Is my brother in law, Tucker—your father, Lolito. I knew it couldn't take long to find him. He and my sister, Jasmine, are in charge of the tech spread workers and everything they do." Lolito took off running towards Tucker which didn't surprise the rest of the group at all. Danielle let him go, even though he almost ran into several workers along the way."

"What's your job here?" Harley inquired.

"I don't have just one. I'm in charge of overseeing communications, but when necessary, I'm also a ghost fighter. But I'm actually on security detail right now. I have the night shift and I make sure that no enemy gets within ten miles of this base."

"That sounds like fun." Harley said with half sincerity.

"Pfft, not for any human that gets stuck with that shift. I've always been grateful for my powers and I have years of experience firsthand and with training others." Danielle chuckled slightly. "I'm half ghost like my brother—we're two of only four halfas in existence. Freaks like us who can change from human to ghost form based on a strange genetic are not a regular occurrence in nature. Portal accidents made two humans into halfas. As for myself and the fourth halfa, we were cloned from Danny's DNA. So now you know my secret—Danny and Jasmine aren't actually my siblings, but I was adopted into their family."

Harley seemed skeptical. Leo whistled impressively. "And what about the fourth halfa?" Taylor asked Danielle. But Taylor's eyes fell over on Lolito engaging in awkward conversation with his father. Taylor wondered how they were doing.

Danielle shrugged. "None of us knows what became of Cirth. Unlike Danny and I, the other two halfas are evil to the core. Team Phantom has been thankful to have been free of them all these years though we have often had fears of them wreaking havoc on your world without us around to stop them."

"Rest assured, Amity Park is safe and sound." Leo smiled calmingly, just now realizing that he was only an inch or two shorter than her and could pretty much look eye to eye with her. For a moment, their blue eyes met with each other and inspired a certain kind of discomfort in Danielle. She looked away. Leo didn't know just how relieved she was to hear what he had said.

"Why exactly did you come into the ghost zone anyways?" Danielle asked them. "I've been meaning to get to this question for a while. I can't help but be skeptical of humans coming in."

"Curiosity." Taylor replied. "My best friend turned out to be a ghost and her family wanted to move in here, so we all decided to see her off. We didn't intend to stay but when Lolito met his mother near the portal, the three of us others began to get all the more curious about this mysterious world. We couldn't waste any chance we had to stay."

"Ah." Danielle turned back around and completed the tour of the tech room. It took about an hour. Lolito remained with Tucker and Danielle figured he would catch up eventually. Then, Danielle showed the teens to the cafeteria where the chef—a large yeti-like ghost named Frostbite—served them food. As a matter of fact, ghosts of all shapes, sizes, and colors dotted the base and worked side by side among all the humans.

"This is so strange. It all feels like a dream." Leo said as he took a bite out of his cheeseburger, er, at least, he liked to think it was a cheeseburger. It tasted a little off. "An AWESOME dream."

"I know, right?" Taylor agreed. She ate a slice of lunchmeat ham and then turned to Harley. "Seriously, hey, are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." Harley replied as if it was obvious. "But we have bigger things on our mind now than health. I'm just trying to be serious for once, okay? I've kind of charmed my way through life to attain the status I have back home but here, that doesn't matter. The atmosphere here is very sobering and I just want to feel like…I'm one of them. Like I'm someone who's actually done something to earn honor instead of scoring the winning point on a sports game." He groaned while he realized Danielle was listening in too.

"That's good of you, but, you've also got the duty to be our guest as well." Danielle mentioned. "You don't have a job here, so it isn't your obligation to feel the burden of our own war in your heart. It hits you hard at first, but the longer you're here, the more you find out how to keep your spirits up. I'm certain my sister would have said something similar." Harley just looked down and away. He kept it hidden from all of them that he actually knew a thing or two about Team Phantom, their base, and the war. His parents had told him things long ago that he was dying to remember more than his current vague recollection. He pushed aside old stories told to him by his parents but now he would give anything to remember.

After the four of them had eaten more than plenty, they decided it was time to find Lolito. So they headed back up half a flight of stairs and through several halls that led to more halls and finally let out to a big open technology room. Lolito and Tucker had been pacing around, surveying the scene and whatnot. As much as Danielle hated to interrupt their bonding time, it really was time for the teens to be getting home. Surely all of their parents were worried, and foster parents in the case of Lolito.

The twins observed a clock which reminded them they only had about twenty more minutes until their curfew. "Hey. How are things going?" Danielle asked Tucker with a smile. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Lolito has to go back to the human realm for now so as not to worry Dash and Paulina."

Lolito frowned suddenly. Tucker nodded. As the curly-haired man turned towards Danielle, it was obvious that he had been crying because his eyes were bloodshot. He had just started to compose himself after hearing about Lolito's life and how he came to end up here. "I never thought I'd see my son walk through that arch way into this room. And now he has to leave? I knew he would, but this can't be forever." He turned to the redhead goth boy. "One day we'll be together as a family. I promise. For now, I guess you have to go."


	15. Chapter 15: Travel Arrangements

**Chapter 15: Travel Arrangements**

Tucker pulled Lolito into a tight hug. One or both of them might have even started up crying. Danielle and the teens stood around awkwardly. She took this chance to reach Jasmine. The halfa picked up a phone-like communicator and notified her sister to give the teens transport back to the portal of the human world and make sure that they get safe passage through to the other side. Danielle also added a bit of light humor with a joke about Jasper being hard on them.

But it didn't seem Jasmine was in the mood for humor based on the lack of words in her reply. Danielle soon frowned as well. It wasn't long before Jasmine boarded the island of the base. She walked through the archway with a heavy frown on her face as she came into visibility. One by one, the gazes of the teenagers fell on her, and at last, Danielle and Tucker. This couldn't be good.

Harley sensed something bad. Taylor and Leo foolishly tried to keep their optimism high. Lolito wiped away the tears that blurred his eyes and got a clear vision of his mother again as she came into view. Harley, Taylor and Leo exchanged glances as the woman approached them. "I'm afraid no one will be going back to the human world any time soon."

The teenagers gasped. Danielle crossed her arms skeptically but remained calm. "What's wrong?" She whispered as she distanced herself from the teens and approached her sister.

"I dunno." Jasmine replied in a hushed tone while the teens conversed amongst themselves. "The only way for this kind of incident to occur is if the Tossi messed with the controls. But Jasper's been watching his portal like a hawk." Jasmine rubbed her forehead to try and relieve the headache she had for hours. "I know it doesn't add up, but the portals are closed. They're _all_ closed. Indefinitely."

"Do you think we can get leave to investigate?" Danielle's face was very serious. Tucker joined them in conversation. The teenagers didn't know where to look but they were listening. Definitely. They were in complete shock. They were _stuck_ in the ghost zone, and didn't know what all this could mean for them and their families. They were stranded here with no way to contact the human world.

"I've already gotten leave." Jasmine mentioned. "Soon I'll be heading off to investigate." She turned to her husband. "You know what to do, right?"

"Of course…I mean, I kind of hoped to be able to go home tonight but it looks like I'll be pulling an all-nighter." He sighed. "Time to think like a crazy college kid again and try to stay awake." He turned to the teens. "As for these four…normally Jasmine and I would host, but neither of us will be home. So Danielle, I hate to impose on you and Kibbon, but…"

"Don't worry about it. Hey, as long as we've all got each other. There's nothing to worry about." Danielle paused as there was an awkward silence then. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sound like…"

"It's fine." Jasmine interjected. "Getting back on topic now, I'll have you know that you have to send somebody with a memo of the current situation to Skulktech because they might know how to fix the portal if the problem happens to be the result of something other than Tossi interference. I gotta get back out there so I can't stay. I'll see you." Her voice had finally returned to normal volume and she gave Lolito one last hug before exiting the scene.

"This is getting scary." Leo said, marking the look of fear on Lolito's face.

The worry really hadn't hit Taylor yet. Her reaction was a simple flat stare at Danielle. "Well, what are we supposed to do?"

Danielle sighed and played with her hair out of nervousness. She had a habit of doing that when she needed to think. "For now, you all can stay in my cabin for the night. My shift isn't over yet. But I'll send you home with my husband. You'll just have to wait until he's done with his shift and then you can stay with us for however long you need. Deal?"

The four teenagers each gave a slight nod. "How long do you think this will be?" Harley inquired. "Whenever it's over, you can't just send us back. You'll have to come with us and explain to each of our parents what happened, like a responsible adult." That last statement was almost like an order.

Danielle fidgeted because she knew Harley had her there. But she couldn't exactly explain to two sets of human parents that their kids spent the night—or however many nights—in a secret dimension filled with ghosts and warmongers. "Ummm, let's just take this one step at a time, okay? Let's not jump to conclusions. We all have a lot on our plates." She hurried them along down to where Kibbon was talking to a bunch of people in an office setup. "You're good little troopers." Danielle smiled. "Just go wait over by him." Danielle pointed to a man on the other side of the room.

Interrupting his conversation, Kibbon Clevely waved obnoxiously with a goofy grin of giddy delight when he saw his wife. Then as the teens approached, he became puzzled. "Zentak, I think I'll have to get back to you on that…" Kibbon shooed away the guy whom he had been talking to. Zentak just scoffed and headed back to his own cubicle. Kibbon's silvery grey eyes locked on Lolito immediately and he paced in a circle around him, singling him out from the others. "Huh…curious indeed."

Kibbon tightened the buckle on his brown leather jacket. His dark pants were thick and tight. He, too, carried something like a utility belt on his waist. It had in it several weapons as well as…a thermos. Kibbon wore a loose black shirt and biker gloves. His hair was kind of long and straight, almost reaching his shoulders. His natural black-brown hair was typically dyed blood red but having been stuck so long in the ghost zone caused him to ration his hair dye. He had a funny sort of face and didn't look half as emo as he did when he was a young guy. In fact, he looked rather like he could have been the class clown.

"What…?" Lolito finally asked after Kibbon's staring. He wanted to hear Kibbon say it from his own mouth—that he looked like Tucker and Jasmine.

Kibbon smiled. "Why…your straightened hair is starting to curl back up. Tsk tsk tsk…sweating will do that to you. So don't sweat!" Lolito face-palmed hard. In fact the smack of skin on skin was so loud it turned heads. "Gee, when I was younger, I would never sweat when I straightened my hair. Then again, my hair is naturally straight anyways so that probably explained why it would never frizz up, even if I did sweat."

Lolito didn't even know where to start with this guy. But any problem with that statement was as good as any to address first. "First of all, as if you can control sweat…secondly…why would you straighten it if it was naturally straight? Wait, don't answer that. Thirdly, WHO CARES? And fourth, don't I remind you of somebody? Anybody at all?"

"Hmmm…" Kibbon mused. "No." He answered shortly.

Danielle laughed as she came over to him. "This is Lolito! Lolito Foley! Your nephew! He came in just before the portal closed today. He and his friends were with their ghost friend who entered, and now the four of them who are humans are stranded here until the portals open again. We're going to be hosting them. I need to get back to my station as well. Can you take them back to our place? I'll meet you when I'm done but I'll be a while yet."

Kibbon shrugged. He headed back to his cubicle to shuffle through some paperwork. He minded his own business as the teenagers followed him and eventually stood all around his work area. Harley sat down in the empty chair next to Kibbon where a worker had gone home. Taylor pulled up a chair as well. Leo and Lolito remained standing. Taylor and Leo leaned over Kibbon's shoulders.

"Can I help you?" Kibbon asked suddenly as they were starting to drive him crazy. It had only been four minutes and he couldn't focus with them all staring. From the way he said it, the kids could tell Kibbon was a bit high-strung and eccentric as if it wasn't already blaringly obvious. "What do you want? Can't you wait somewhere else?"

"We don't know this place. So that has "bad idea" written all over it." Taylor replied.

"Besides, we're curious about you." Leo added. "What exactly is your job?"

Kibbon sighed. When he realized they weren't going to go away until he was done, he knew he had best get this over with. He tried to get through the paperwork while talking to them at the same time. "I'm the head ambassador. Danielle might be chief of communications among this base but I deal with people on a much larger scale and I deal with the things that are actually dangerous. I risk my life all the time heading out or sending people out to make allies, check on them, and help them. Basically I'm just really really good at making friends and solving problems. That's my job."

Kibbon continued to engross himself in his work as he often saved the paperwork for the end of the day because it was the most boring thing ever. Aside from being an ambassador he was also the consultant for the base. If anyone needed advice, he was the go-to guy. Most of the paperwork he was reading and filling out were memos related to that. Then he'd have to take all the papers down to the ghosts in the mail department.

Taylor and her friends were bored for the next hour. Time refused to pass, or so it seemed. All they could hear were the beeping of machines and the repetitive patters of the mechanic sounds and the clicking of Kibbon's writing and occasional typing. There was whirring and clashing from rooms next door as doors opened and closed. Talking voices became fewer and fewer. It was quite boring. "Wait here." Kibbon mentioned to the teens as he was finally finished. "I'll be right back." He left to go deliver papers.

Harley leaned on his arm tiredly. Leo yawned, barely able to keep awake. Lolito just stared off blankly. At last, Taylor fell asleep once she could keep her eyes open no longer. Leo elbowed Harley and Harley gave him a nod signaling that he was prepared to carry Taylor out of there. The boys were at least gentleman enough not to wake her. It was a while before Kibbon got back, but when at last he returned, he shut down his station. "My shift's over. We can go now." He mentioned to the teens. "I bet you're all thrilled to hear that."

Lolito shushed his uncle and pointed to Taylor who was out. Kibbon cringed as Leo helped Harley pick Taylor up. "I've got it, thanks." Harley said to Leo as he carried the brunette girl with ease. Even Kibbon was impressed. "What? I work out." That reply was how Harley addressed the stares. The ghost zone didn't look any different during the night as it did during the day. So the only thing the teens could really trust now was their own biological clock.

Onward they followed Kibbon to his vehicle out back. Of course, it was just their luck that it would be one of those small dinky things only meant to sit two people. Kibbon was a humble guy, and didn't need anything fancy. But right now those teens would have given anything to sit in Jasmine's vehicle again. Kibbon opened both of the doors for his guests as he figured none of them would know how to operate it. Lolito took shotgun.

Taylor was laid across the laps of Harley and Leo in the back. It wasn't very comfortable for any of them. The ride was kind of silent. Leo and Lolito talked to Kibbon. Harley just kept looking down at Taylor sleeping so innocently with her head on his lap. She was out cold. Her crush on him was pretty obvious but what wasn't so obvious was the way he felt. Sure he flirted back now and then, but he was only ever half serious about it…until now.

Now he had started to develop care for her on a deeper level that he never would have let himself if they hadn't started on this adventure. He didn't know where this trip would take them or how long it would be but he knew he cared about Taylor very much and wanted to protect him. She trusted him, after all, even though he hadn't been entirely truthful about who he was. He hadn't exactly lied either; but rather, he had mislead people—a LOT of people.

This is your hope, and this is your love

And these are the words that you're dreaming of

You've been waiting so long to sing this song

Care to explain why you came along?

Don't expect to hold or know me

Until you've learned a virtue, see

I want to meet a new side of you

In the hope that dreams can come true

Timeless virtues—the things you have to learn

Love is something given that cannot be earned

Timeless, timeless, timeless through the ages

Hearts ache and hearts break, but your love never changes

Hearts ache and hearts break, but your love never changes!

You can't walk alone or be on your own

If you're not prepared to face the unknown

If its love you know then you'll let it show

Or else you will find that you ARE alone

Don't expect to love until you've lost

Until you've learned a virtue's cost

The patience is the penalty

Is it worth it for you to wait for me?

Timeless virtues—the things you have to learn

Love is something given that cannot be earned

Timeless, timeless, timeless through the ages

Hearts ache and hearts break, but your love never changes

Hearts ache and hearts break, but your love never changes!

This is your hope, and this is your love

And these are the words that you're dreaming of

Shrouded in the valley, concealed by the mist

Warmed up by the sun, safe from what everything else is

My heart is wrapped up in something

Walls that keep me from trembling

You fill my life with suspenseful mystery

From the moment that we met I felt its beauty

Timeless virtues—the things you have to learn

Love is something given that cannot be earned

Timeless, timeless, timeless through the ages

Hearts ache and hearts break, but your love never changes

Hearts ache and hearts break, but your love never changes!


	16. Chapter 16: A Little Faith

**Chapter 16: A Little Faith**

Kibbon flew the car to an island not too far away. The whirring of the vehicle almost lulled Leo to sleep, but Harley elbowed him. After a while it had just been Lolito and Kibbon doing the talking. Harley just wanted to get some rest already though he feared this wouldn't be an easy night. At last, they landed. The teenagers got a preview of where they would be staying while looking out the windows. Once they were on solid ground once more, they disembarked. Taylor had just begun to stir and since she didn't know what was going on just yet, Harley helped her out. Once she was standing on her own two feet, she took a look around. She was still amazed that this world was composed of seemingly infinite floating island realms. She was tempted to lean over the edge, but as she took a few steps in that direction, Harley pulled her back with a warning look on his face and she realized she almost made a pretty stupid move. This island must be the place where the other base workers lived. There were dozens upon dozens of apartment houses all linked together with the same washed out blue-colored walls. The homes weren't made out of brick or shingles or anything Taylor had seen before. In the center of this little suburb was a cute little park with a swing set and a playground and everything. It was a strange sight for the humans to see little ghost children playing around this late at night but apparently this world had different rules.

The Clevely house was ordinary, just like everybody else's. Kibbon showed them to the door. He popped the locks and briefly took down the invisible shield. As a precaution, most homes had anti-ghost shields to prevent criminals from coming in whenever they wanted. Despite most of the residents being ghostly as well, this worked out because each home's shield had its own passcode. "In we go, everybody." Kibbon held the door open long enough for Taylor, Leo, Harley, and Lolito to enter the domicile. Kibbon took one last look out the door and then locked up the place and put up the shield.

"The lights just came on. I didn't touch anything, I swear." Taylor mentioned defensively.

"It's alright. It's motion-censored. And our kids are home too…somewhere. Well, they should be." Kibbon mentioned. "They're not allowed to leave the house when they're home alone. So don't be frightened if you see them running or flying around here." Taylor and the others looked, but there were no children in sight. Taylor wondered if they might be asleep.

The interior of the Clevely home looked just like a typical house back in Amity Park, only smaller and more compact. The designer had to be someone who lived there. On the walls, there were a few photographs. Hangings of art made by children and various other decorative items like rugs complemented the floral furniture and gave the place an overall cozy feel. Kibbon gave the group a few moments to study their new environment before he spoke again.

"I'm sure you're all exhausted. Try to get some rest. Danielle and I will prepare breakfast in the morning. Follow me and I'll show you to your bedrooms." Kibbon led them up the narrow staircase. It was carpeted, but made entirely of metal which became obvious once they began to walk on it. That was odd. Kibbon opened the first door on the left. "What are your names, you guys? I never asked…my apologies."

"Harley." The older teen answered first.

"Logan." Leo replied. "And Britney." He added, earning a nod from her.

"Well this here's your stay for the night. There's only one bed, but it's a queen-size so the two of you can share. As for the other two of you, one of you boys can take my son Alek's bed and Britney, you can take Marisol's bed. Boys, you decide who sleeps where."

"Leo, take this Alek kid's bed. Lolito and I will share the guest room." Harley decided upon looking into this large guest room. It looked pretty well lived in but no one could blame the family for wanting to make use of their space.

"Wohoo!" Leo cheered and the other two went inside to check the room out. It was obvious they weren't keen on sharing. Leo wasn't keen on sleeping in some other kid's bed either but for some reason it would be better than sharing with a friend.

"Shh, I wouldn't want you to wake up my kids." Kibbon mentioned. "Alek is twelve, and Toby is a few years younger. Alek inherited some powers from Danielle and some from me as well, but Toby hasn't got a squick of power. Alek's definitely a handful, but he and Toby do best when they are left alone from all this war business though." Kibbon sighed.

"What about Marisol?" Taylor questioned. The house was kept highly air-conditioned and Taylor wasn't used to it so she couldn't wait to dive right into the warm blankets of Marisol's bed. She didn't care that it was a stranger and she might be filthy. She just wanted to be warm again.

"Marisol is actually a full ghost. And she isn't my daughter—she's my niece. She's my brother-in-law Danny's child, but Danielle and I have been raising her as our own for years." Kibbon explained. "It was a sad day when Danny and Cecelia had to give up their only living child but they were lucky to get another chance to have a kid anyways. Not everyone does." He sighed. "Those two…always thinking of everybody else before themselves. It'd be great if you could meet them some day."

"Believe me, I want to." Taylor said under her breath. Kibbon knocked on the door to Toby and Alek's room. Alek quickly woke up and came to the door. Kibbon gave the word and as quickly as possible, Alek got out a sleeping bag from the closet and Leo climbed up top to Alek's bunk bed. Little Toby was sound asleep but it wouldn't take much to wake him up.

Quietly, Kibbon closed the door and proceeded to Marisol's bedroom. "I'm impressed. Four bedrooms in what looked to be a small house…guess you really can't judge a book by its cover, can you?" Taylor said with a slight laugh.

"Four? No. There's only three. And don't worry about it." Kibbon replied. "Here is the last room." He brought her to the front of another room on the right. "Marisol?" Kibbon called as he opened the door. The lights came on.

"What…?" Taylor asked herself. Going back over it in her mind, she realized that the first bedroom was not a guest room but rather it was Kibbon and Danielle's room. She wanted to ask where they would sleep, but Kibbon seemed to have predicted that question when he told her not to worry. A small body emerged from the room. Taylor looked down at the girl who was not even five feet tall.

Marisol was quite the odd eleven-year-old. Her skin was tan, her hair was pitch black. And she had beautiful purple eyes. She was stick thin but with a good build—lean and durable. She studied Taylor all at once in a mysterious glance. Marisol was silent and her face was neutral, but that could just be because she was tired.

"Danny Phantom had a daughter?" Taylor asked herself out loud as the fact had just now hit her. "This is way cool!" She enthused. "It's so nice to meet you! I'm Taylor!"

Marisol shyly went back into the bedroom and closed the door. She didn't quite know what was going on now. Kibbon opened the door back up again. "Marisol, this is Britney and she and three boys have come to stay at our house with us. She needs to use your bed. Is that okay?" Kibbon knew how to talk to the strange girl.

The lights were off again now. There was Marisol, all curled up on her bed. Kibbon approached her and gently swooped her long hair off of her face. Marisol didn't avert her large eyes from Taylor. In all of this, Marisol didn't say a word. "I think it's really cool that you're Danny's daughter. I'd love it if we could be friends!" Taylor added, hoping it would help her case. But it didn't. Marisol just blinked.

"There's nothing to be afraid of." Kibbon assured her. "This girl here is a sweetie. She needs somewhere to sleep and all the other beds are taken. We need you to get your sleeping bag out of the closet like Alek did. Britney and her friends came in from the human world just like your parents."

"Are they coming back soon?" Marisol asked softly. "Is that why you brought them up?"

Kibbon made a nervous face. "Um, well, no. Well, I, uh, I don't know exactly when, but they _will_ come home eventually. It's Danny, and he always comes back." Marisol rolled over in her pink covers. "Pinky promise." Kibbon added. He stood to his feet because the position he knelt in must not have been very comfortable. "Now will you try your best to share your room with Britney here? For the time being, she is our guest. Remember, you're a guest too, though we've been letting you live here like a daughter."

Marisol nodded, and at that, Kibbon decided to leave them be. Kibbon was great at cheering people up when they were down but he was totally lost when it came to providing long-term comfort. He kind of just shied away from the situation and left most of the talking to his wife. Now Taylor was about to get the chance to get to know someone who wasn't so different from her. It would be awkward at first. Marisol sat up. Now that the lights had been on for a while, she was wide awake.

Taylor looked around the room. It was painted pink with a white trim. The closet curtains were strings of colorful beads. Marisol's dresser had clothes sticking out and from what Taylor could tell, Marisol had a cute showy style choice. On the vanity, there was a humble assortment of nail polish. "I love all your stuff!" Marisol stared blankly at Taylor. Then Taylor stared back, waiting for a reply that might never come. Taylor wasn't around kids very often.

Even though it was just over a year ago that Taylor was a child herself, she didn't know how to talk to kids as she got older. She didn't know what to make of them. She didn't _understand_ them. Regardless, Taylor bravely approached the girl with a smile on her face. Taylor had nothing to lose in facing this head-on. Marisol continued staring as she tried to figure Taylor out. "How old are you?" Marisol asked.

"Thirteen." Taylor replied. "I'm almost fourteen, actually. It looks like we have a lot in common just from your room. I'm super girly too!" To save them from more awkwardness, the bedroom door burst open and two small bodies came hurricaning in suddenly. The older of the two boys had slightly tanned skin, straight, short black hair with one blue streak, and silvery blue eyes. He was wearing a white shirt with a graphic rocket on it and sweatpants.

"Hi there!" The mischievous little punk got right up in Taylor's face. "Britney, was it? I haven't been able to sleep because I've been thinking of you the whole time." He had definitely inherited his father's charm.

"Uh, wait, what? For all of the five minutes you've known I exist?" Taylor replied, slightly disgusted, but flattered that he had the guts to be so bold.

"Yes, I've gone five minutes too long without actually talking to you." He took a bow and extended a head. "I'm Alek. Remember that."

Marisol curled up and rested her neck on her knees, eventually lowering her head to cover the uncomfortable look on her face. Taylor just stared at Alek's hand. "…Are you hitting on me?" She blinked.

"Well, duh." Alex remarked, pulling his hand away when she wouldn't shake it. He looked deeper into her eyes for a moment. She tried to back up, but she didn't want to bump into Marisol. "Hmmm, nope. No. Not my type. I mean you are, but you're not." He backed away. "Somehow it just feels weird when I think about it." He shook his head.

"Um, thanks?" Taylor was kind of glad at this but felt insulted at the same time.

"Don't worry; he's never too serious in his flirts." The smaller boy spoke. He also had black hair and silvery green eyes. He was wearing green army pajamas, but this color was ugly compared to the color of his intriguing set of eyes. "I'm not tired any more but the teenager is sleeping in Alek's bed. Alek's wondering if there are any more girls."

"Get out of here!" Marisol suddenly stood up. She threw a pillow at Alek, and he threw it back playfully and laughed. "This is _my_ bedroom!" He could never tell when she was serious or not, because she often broke into laughter around him.

Alek rolled his eyes at Marisol. "Whatever." He said as he dragged his little brother out of the room. "Come on Toby. Let's go back to sleep." Marisol wanted the attention of the stranger to gravitate back towards her, though she barely knew anything about her. And also Marisol wanted to forget that Alek and Toby ever came in here.

"You miss your parents, huh?" Taylor looked at Marisol, who sat back down with her head resting on her knees again. The kid nodded slightly. "Why don't you tell me a bit about them?" Taylor leaved up against the wall beside the younger girl. "Tell me anything you want."

Marisol sat up straighter and shifted so that she was facing the older girl. "Well, my dad is the famous Danny Phantom. He's the hero of the ghost zone, or so I've been told. I haven't seen him in over two years. He's big and strong and he used to fly me around the neighborhood a lot. He was always excited to teach me more about my powers. _I miss him._ My mom's name is Cecelia. She's beautiful. She can carry me on her shoulders too, but she can't fly. She has long brown hair and the same color eyes as mine. She used to love telling me about the human world she and dad came from. Mom can shoot electricity out of her hands AND look like a model while doing it. She's awesome. I miss her just as much."

"Do you have any clue where they are now?" Taylor asked.

Marisol groaned. "I wish. Well, my mom is fighting the bad guys. They're called the Tossi. They're scary. They have fangs. They can mess with your mind and stuff. I've had nightmares about them and their power. My dad is supposed to be forming a steady alliance with the dragons. But nobody's heard from him in a very long time. It was the worst day ever when they left me and I didn't know when they'd be back."

"I have a feeling things will start to look better with time." Taylor said reassuringly. "For a brief while, the portals had been open. But now they're closed again. That's why my brother and our friends haven't been able to get back to the human world. One of my friends is Lolito Foley—your cousin." Marisol perked up. "You'll get to meet him in the morning. But I guess you have had about enough of male cousins running around here, right?" Taylor laughed in attempt to lighten the mood. But it didn't really work. "Oh, have you begun to see Alek and Toby as brothers rather than cousins?"

"No." Marisol shook her head. "Let's just stop talking about them okay?" Marisol was starting to get real sleepy again and she yawned. She motioned for Taylor to take the bed. Then Marisol got her purple sleeping bag out of the closet. "You really think things will get better?" Marisol asked as she turned off the lights and got comfortable.

"Yes." Taylor said with surprising confidence. "Just today I saw the miracle of Lolito reuniting with the parents he hadn't seen since toddler age. If I hadn't been there, I never would have believed something like that could happen. All it takes is a little faith. I suppose this ghost zone is sort of a hopeful place when you really think about it." Marisol smiled in the darkness, though it could not be seen. Then at last, the two went to rest.

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	17. Chapter 17: Liabilities And Assets

**Chapter 17: Liabilities And Assets**

Taylor slept well. Upon waking, she almost forgot she and her friends had spent the night in the ghost zone. Taylor didn't know what time it was. All she knew was that it was early—too early. She and Marisol awoke because somebody was shaking them. "What is it, Leo?" Taylor groaned with her eyes half closed. "Go away…" She flipped over and hid her face in a pillow, hoping that they would pretend she was not there so she could sleep.

Leo grasped his hair tightly in his hands. He paced and his feet made a brushing sound as they dragged along the cheap carpet. "Guys, I totally forgot about dad! He's probably worried sick! I can't reach him because my phone is out of service range—"

"There's no human service in here." Marisol slid out of bed and stood on her feet. "I mean, I have heard that there are human communications in their world, but they can't reach our world. And our devices are different and not compatible anyways. You won't be able to reach your parents so just forget about it." The purple-eyed girl seemed ever so much more talkative in the morning. Taylor was actually astonished at that, but even more so the fact that she did not seem to mind changing in front of Leo. When Leo realized Marisol was about to take her shirt off, he turned around. "I sorta…know how you feel, being out of contact with my own parents and all. But don't worry. We're safe here. Nothing can harm us."

Leo nodded in agreement, but he still didn't feel completely secure. "I've already asked Kibbon multiple times and in multiple ways. Each time, he told me that there's no way to get out of here except through a portal. While cooking breakfast, he even rambled on and on about this Infi-Map object which could generate portals, but it was lost to the hands of an evil villain called Undergrowth who lives in his own urban realm…"

"Leo STOP TALKING I'm too tired!" Taylor said loudly. About a second later she poked her head above the covers and surfaced. She looked at Leo. "Since when do _you_ get up before breakfast?"

"Since my life started to get interesting." He remarked. "Since when are you not a morning person?"

Taylor shrugged at Leo's little comeback. She was proud of him in a way. Most of the time, he'd just sit back and take her attitude. Maybe he was starting to change. "Since I was really exhausted last night." She sighed and stood up. "I'm wide awake now, thanks to you."

Leo made a big cheesy grin as it was safe to look in the direction of the girls now. "You're welcome." He replied.

Taylor shook her head and then finger combed her hair. Looking down at her regular clothes, she realized they were all sweaty from the night and didn't want to go downstairs looking like this. "Hey Marisol, do you have any extra clothes?"

Marisol frowned. "Does it _look_ like you'd fit into any of _my_ clothes?" Marisol motioned to make it obvious that she was skinny as a stick and Taylor had quite the curves. Taylor was thin too, but, also more than half of a foot taller.

"What she meant was—does Danielle have any clothes she could wear?" Leo asked.

Marisol shrugged. "It couldn't hurt to try." She took them to the master bedroom and found some things that she knew was a little tight on Danielle. It was a white tank top and red shorts. Taylor gratefully took it. Then, the girls followed Leo downstairs to a pancake breakfast. Toby and Alek were sitting at the table, all ready to begin the day with a fresh start. Lolito and Harley were still tired as neither of them looked like they had slept much at all last night. Kibbon grinned as he greeted everyone with a wave. He briefly felt like he was a hotel manager.

Meanwhile in the human realm, life was quiet for Aiden at the Masters house—quieter than usual. Last night the twins had not come home. Aiden was going to ask Vlad about it, but then he figured he had better not. Since it was the weekend, they might have been sleeping over at a friend's house. At breakfast, Aiden and Vlad ate together but did not exchange even one word in conversation. It was kind of awkward, actually.

Aiden took a brief swim and then he changed into something cool. After that, he headed off to go pick up his friends for some kind of day trip. Aiden picked up his girlfriend Raven first. She looked super cute with this loose shirt and short shorts. Then Aiden picked up Jarred who looked a bit dorky in a muscle shirt and khakis but Aiden didn't care. Lastly they were going to pick up Harley, but after waiting awhile at the front door, Harley's father came out.

"If you're looking for Harley, he spent last night somewhere else." The man announced to the trio of teens in waiting. Raven looked at Aiden strangely as Aiden found it strange how his siblings hadn't come home either. "I don't know who he went out with last night but it was just a small group. My wife and I have no need for concern though. Harley's a good kid. He probably just forgot to call. He's going to be upset he had to miss you guys though, wherever he is."

"Forgot to call…" Aiden repeated under his breath.

"Mr. Longstrom, have you really no idea where Harley is?" Jarred asked. "He didn't tell you any names? You didn't see any faces?"

"Please. Call me Raiden. And no, neither my wife nor I saw them. Harley is very cryptic regarding his school friends. Unless he brings them home, we have no idea who he hangs out with. But we know you well and we know you care about him so we trust that you'll be the good influences he needs to stay out of trouble. Okay?"

There was nothing more that the gang could say about that. They retreated to Aiden's car, slightly upset to be down a member but it couldn't be too much of a setback except in games where they planned to be in teams. "So bowling and golf are out for the day." Aiden mentioned as they started on the road again. "What now? Should we hit the beach? Or is it too early? I don't want to miss the peak of the heat."

Raven sighed. Usually she was the merry-sunshine of the group but she had turned serious all of a sudden. "Aiden? Really? Aren't you the least bit concerned for—"

Jarred laughed. "Relax! What's got you so uptight?"

"The fact that Harley isn't the only one missing." Raven quipped, earning a dead silence from Jarred.

"Rave, when you say it like that, it sounds so…" Aiden's voice trailed off. "Wait a second. Who else is gone?"

"Your siblings, of course!" Raven replied rashly. "Part of your family!"

Aiden rolled his eyes. "Well, yeah, but…hold on a second now…I don't remember ever telling you that Taylor and Leo spent the night somewhere else."

Raven's face went red all of a sudden and she stared out the window to hide her embarrassment. "Yeah you did. You just forgot." She mentioned quietly. "I'm certain you mentioned it."

"But I don't remember this either, and he picked me up first." Jarred added. "Aiden, is this true? That they're missing? I wonder if there's a connection."

"Guys! Come on, now, let's just enjoy our day. It's a coincidence, alright? They'll all be back soon. They all probably just slept over somewhere and forgot to call back. Kids do that, you know? Not everyone can be as responsible as us." Aiden sighed, trying to cool off now so that his emotion didn't affect his driving.

But the truth was that Aiden wondered if there was a connection too. But by the same token, it wasn't his problem and he didn't want anything to spoil this day. Besides, they weren't even certain that there was a problem at all. The guys pushed away any further thoughts on the matter, but Raven kept thinking hard on it. She shrank down in her seat and stared out the window, wondering where Harley, Taylor, and Leo could have gotten to.

Back in the ghost zone, Kibbon was at the stove peeling off the last few pancakes from the frying pan. One large plate now had a stack of nearly twenty pancakes. Marisol got out plates for everyone. Alek and Toby were messing around but they seemed to have taken quite the liking to the three teen guys. Toby had a few of his toy cars and planes at the table. Taylor was trying ever so hard to avoid making eye contact with Alek after him flirting with her last night. Marisol had made special effort to sit beside him, but he just ignored her and instead got to know the older boys.

"Where's Danielle?" Taylor finally asked just as Kibbon sat down to begin his meal. "Sorry. Er, I should let you eat first. Thank you for breakfast! We'll be sure to clean up after ourselves and fix the bedding too."

Kibbon laughed. "Ah, it's fine. Don't worry about it. She ended up spending the night at the base and so did Tucker." Lolito's head popped up at the mention of his father. And based on Danielle's message to me, Jasmine has been out all night too. I'm going to have to go soon as well and join them. I'll have to leave you here."

Suddenly, everyone quieted down. "What? Why?" Leo was the first to inquire.

Kibbon turned towards them all. "Hey, everyone. Listen, as soon as I'm done eating, I've gotta jet. There's been an emergency. Some Tossi are attacking our sister base. Apparently I'm the only one available—even though technically I'm not available because I'm taking care of all of you. Anyways, I have to do my job. People's lives are at stake. I hope you understand that there's somewhere I need to be."

"You mean we're going to have to stay here all day?" Harley asked. "We can't come with you?"

"Oh no. This will be terribly dangerous." Kibbon assured them. "Danielle will be home soon to watch over you all. Until, then you will be alone. Alek, I'm putting you in charge since these kids don't know the area." Alek grinned smugly. "I'm trusting you to act responsibly like a young man. Considering she's been working all night, she'll probably crash and sleep all day." Kibbon began to walk around the house gathering up all the items that he would need for his mission. "Boys, be good for our guests. Marisol, try to be patient, okay?"

"Yes, dad." The boys said in unison. Marisol followed that up with a nod.

The teenagers slowly ate their pancakes. They all kept exchanging glances because they had the same thoughts among each other. Marisol, clueless and innocent as ever, wolfed down her breakfast of four pancakes before the other kids even finished their first. Toby and Alek were both playing with their food and the syrup and butter. Leo didn't like the silence and wanted to get a conversation going. "So, Alek, I think it's cool that you have powers like your dad said. Both parents' powers? That's awesome. It led me to wonder that if you have powers, why aren't you—"

"Not my problem." Alek was smart; he jumped on that sentence before Leo could even finish because he knew what was going to be said. The war—all those Tossi—it's not my problem. They can just screw themselves for all I care."

"You watch that attitude young man." Kibbon scolded as he continued to prep. "Sheesh. I dunno where you pick up those ideas…" There was another long silence.

Leo didn't realize he'd walked into such a controversial subject. Eventually Leo just elbowed Taylor and mouthed something to her to try and get her to say something to Kibbon. She mouthed something back only to tell Leo that he should be the one to speak up. Leo rolled his eyes and eventually he stood up. He followed Kibbon room to room as he gathered his stuff. Lolito, Harley, and Taylor watched anxiously from their seats at the dining table, knowing full well what Leo's plan was.

Kibbon glanced back at Leo trailing behind. Kibbon folded his arms. His face was grave and inflexible for once instead of goofy and energetic. "What are you doing?" Kibbon gave the entire group that "look" that sent shivers down their spines.

When the guys didn't answer, Taylor piped up. "We're hoping we can help you."

"Even I wasn't this dense at your age, guys." Kibbon groaned. "Seriously, can any of you even handle a weapon? Have you ever fired any kind of gun before? You're humans with limited knowledge of ghosts and Tossi. If you can't defend yourself, and if you don't know what the enemy looks like, you'd just be deadweight. You might even end up firing at the wrong side, for goodness sakes. I wouldn't want to put you in any risk of danger since you are my responsibility until we can get you home."

"Let's see. I've been in cheerleading and gymnastics." Taylor mentioned. "Not to mention that in the off season I also get into dance because I need it to keep me in shape for cheer. I'm flexible, nimble, and fast."

"I'd consider myself to be a pretty fair fighter." Harley said. "Taylor might not have the muscles or the reflex for it but I definitely do. I regularly enjoy football, track, swimming, and soccer and I've also taken boxing a few summers back. So I'm definitely in shape." He gave a nod to Leo to go next.

"I spent a whole summer in what my dad called the "shotgun obsession phase"." Leo admitted proudly. He didn't realize how ridiculous that sounded until he said it. "Also, I was into piloting for a few years but I quit at it because I thought I'd never get the change to be a real pilot. But I know all the basic controls. Then again, I've had many phases where I obsess over something for a few months and then get over it…so if you add it all up, I have a lot of random interests which could be turned into skills if given the chance."

Kibbon nodded in approval. "Hm, I see. But just because you enjoy your hobbies doesn't mean that you're cut out to apply them in a certain way. You'll have to be trained. If this really is your passion, then we'd love to have you on the force somehow. But becoming part of our team takes lots of time and my hands are tired right now. But I'll take it all into consideration when I get back. You all present intriguing assets. Lolito? What about you?"

Everybody looked at the redhead and waited for him to say something. But he didn't have any bragging rights here. He kind of hid behind his thick wavy hair. He wasn't good at anything physical. And he didn't like guns or war either. He had never even _held_ a weapon in his life, much less _used_ one. Eventually he had to make his confession and hope for the best. "Okay, I'm not very good at any of those things, I'll admit. But I'm a quick learner. Where there's a will, there's a way, right? So, can we help?"


	18. Chapter 18: The Will And The Way

**"It's Your Voice" lyrics (c) me**

**Please review, fave, and follow if you like my story and my lyrics! ^_^**

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**Chapter 18: The Will And The Way**

Kibbon sighed as he considered the four teens in the house. He put on his glasses so he could inspect them better. Kibbon was an excellent judge of character—perhaps one of the best in the entire ghost zone at this time. These reckless youths definitely wanted to help. But Kibbon didn't want to risk the life of the nephew he had only just met or the lives of his friends.

"No." Kibbon answered adamantly. "I thought spending a night here would help you to realize just how dire our situation is. I'm surprised you could sleep with all the noise, actually. These walls are supposed to be soundproof, but nothing we do can drown out the truth of the world around us for long. Eventually the true nature of a person is revealed, no matter what lengths they might go to hide it. It might take decades, but…" Kibbon shook his head. He had just lost his entire train of thought as he had been trying to focus on too many things in his head at once. "I have to get going. I don't know when or if I'll be back. You don't know how many goodbyes I've said in my life. so goodbye, in case I don't return."

Lolito hung his head down, believing his decision to be final. Taylor would have argued with Kibbon, but she didn't want to upset him. Seeing the goofy guy shift into a brave and stoic form was all the more sobering for her. In fact it made her feel all the more helpless than she already was. Kibbon was obviously so ladened with stress already and Taylor didn't want to be the one to blame for giving him more. She, like the others, had really come to like Kibbon mostly because he possessed a certain unwavering loyalty to the duty of Team Phantom.

"Wait." It was Leo's voice. Kibbon was listening, but he was ready to leave and there was no time to waste. "We may just be kids. We might not be good. Er, probably not. But we want to help, and we want the war to end so you can regain control of the portals and we can go home—all of us. Since we're young energy, willing to take up arms, doesn't that make us better than half of the people out there? I mean, they're sick of fighting after all these years, but our chance has only just begun."

Kibbon sighed. "It's not that easy. The war isn't just going to "end" by some new members joining our side. We're the side who has been coming out ahead most of the time, in fact. With Team Phantom's knack for strategy and technology combined with the powers of the ghost species, it would seem that we are indestructible. But the Tossi are far more powerful and vile than any of us ever knew. At least that was what I foolishly thought while young too." He patted Leo on the shoulder. "Just because you're young doesn't mean you're invincible. In fact, since you're human, you could be taken out in one shot."

Leo looked down as Kibbon started to walk on. The more Leo was here, the more annoyed he was at being called human. "I'm not staying. I'm coming with you." Leo said, determined and serious for once.

Lolito stood up. "Me too!" He said in full confidence. Harley and Taylor soon followed up and stood beside Leo in honor of his bold statement.

"We all need to get out and we're not just going to sit back and watch you fight for us." Harley mentioned. "So naturally, we'll be joining you."

Alek clenched his fists as he had his head down. Eventually he just up and left, almost like storming off to his room. Embarrassed, Marisol chased after him while Toby just kept doing what he had been doing. It was no secret that Alek hated the war, and seeing people just barely older than him willingly join it had really set him off. He could only ever dream of becoming some rebel who would interfere with the war and stop it, but compared to the great vast world out there, he was weak as could be. Marisol did what she could to calm him down, even if it meant listening to the same rant over and over.

Kibbon shook his head. They put up an offer he would be stupid to refuse. Not to mention that the look in Leo's eyes might have scared him a bit. Not because of the true nature of the young teen having been revealed, but rather, because those eyes reminded Kibbon of someone else very dear to him. Next thing Taylor knew, life for her and her friends had changed once again. There was a paradigm shift in the whole universe, or so it seemed.

Kibbon felt it perfectly natural to leave the three children at the home because they could take care of themselves. As for the teenagers, Kibbon began to educate them nonstop with basic training like he had done for adults in years past. He made sure the teens could at least regurgitate the information they had learned and he would get to the part about acting on it later. Taylor felt as if someone else's life was being jammed into her head.

Information overloaded Taylor rather quickly but the words kept coming from Kibbon's mouth. She had to memorize what he was saying as best as she could though it made her a little dizzy trying to follow his thought pattern when he kept jumping between topics of weapons, strategy, and power. Not to mention Taylor had to envision what he was saying in her head at all angles. She really had no idea how this world ran, that is, until now.

Taylor was starting to get a clue and gain an even greater respect for these people. Harley was definitely the most capable among their group but Taylor knew she could not just cower behind him all the time. Eventually she would have to find some ounce of willpower that would allow her to believe she deserved to fight alongside someone like Kibbon. Did she? Resolving that in her head seemed a much greater difficulty than attempting to recall all the information Kibbon had just rattled off.

_I've said my goodbyes, wiped the tears from my eyes_

_Hate to admit it but they have gone to war and will stay_

_The good life I didn't know I had to defend_

_Is the hope that will keep me alive till the end_

_They might be willing to take that one shot, but I'm not_

_They might deserve will to fight to show power and might_

_But I don't, and I won't…unless I will _

_It's your choice; it's your voice still_

_True, I don't know the cost but I have the luck of the lost_

_If in this cruel world I died you'd die right by my side_

_If input is output than I've already changed_

_Like it or not I'm in the land of the deranged _

_They might be willing to take that one shot, but I'm not_

_They might deserve will to fight to show power and might_

_But I don't, and I won't…unless I will _

_It's your choice; it's your voice still_

_Back then I used to think we were invincible too_

_Back then I used to wanna give my all for you_

_But what changed? It's not play_

_This time it's real and its will and its way_

_They'll someday have to take that one shot, but I'm not_

_Because I'm going to live to show the world why I stand_

_If they will it, they'll understand_

_It's your choice; it's your voice still_

_It's your choice, it's your voice, it's your will!_

Taylor pressed onwards, knowing in her head that she was going to put all she had into this, even if that wasn't much. Kibbon scratched his hair. "Can you power an ecto-booster gun?" He turned to Harley, who gave a look which didn't reveal much.

Leo flashed an excited smile. "I've seen a model like that! I can show him how it works!" Kibbon raised his eyebrow, inviting Leo to prove his point by explain how the mechanism worked. Leo almost went as far as to fire it, but Kibbon stopped him. Taylor and Lolito cheered. Harley caught on fast and assured them he would know how to work the weapon from seeing it once. Taylor was impressed at this, and would have had a fangirl moment inside of her head if there was time.

Kibbon went into a closet and brought out several of these ecto-boosters. They were all silver with a peculiar design on the side. "What's this?" Taylor pointed to the logo in question as everyone was dealt a weapon.

"Oh, that's just the Danny Phantom emblem. Our manufacturers figured it'd be easier to identify Team Phantom's weapons if they were all unified with one emblem." Kibbon sighed to himself as the kids inspected the guns. "Sheesh, look at me, handing over weapons to kids. Well, I've always been a fool, so why stop now?"

Harley and Leo fastened their boosters around their shoulder and waist like it was meant to. Leo had to help Lolito and Harley helped Taylor. Again, she almost had a fangirl attack, but managed to hold it in and keep her cool. She forced her relaxed face into a serious and sobering expression, hoping it would force the rest of her mind and body to align with the priorities at hand. She had literally no experience and no idea what to expect…was Kibbon really going to throw them out onto the battlefield?

The teens gathered their items—which were a total of their jackets and their useless cell phones and a hair scrunchie Marisol gave Taylor to hold back her hair. Just when the three teens thought they were ready to go, Kibbon handed them each a pair of goggles. "You're going to need these since it's your first time using ecto weapon technology. The ecto-dust and residue from this specific model gets into the air. If your eyes aren't used to it, they'll water. And soon you'll be cryin' so hard you won't be able to see a thing. And for the record, yes, it is almost impossible to make a statement without using the words "ecto" or "ghost" these days."

The kids obeyed the order without question; something Kibbon was not entirely used to. Kibbon took them out the front door and then he locked it sharply. There was a long walk ahead of them down through the suburban streets. Taylor couldn't keep thoughts of self-consciousness out of her head. She must have looked like such a fool, marching around all confident like she knew what she was doing. Taylor would be especially embarrassed if anybody she knew saw her like this. They would almost laugh at seeing the school primadonna march off to war. It was almost laughable, even!

Kibbon stopped his followers when they stood in front of a large steel building. It had zero windows. It had only a giant pair of doors on the front side—as well as a few scattered emergency exits. The building was oval-shaped in layout. That was no ordinary roof that this building had; it was a refracting one. That was obvious only because the roofing was flat. If it was angled, then they would have seen the top.

"Whoa!" Leo said in awe. The building towered before him. He looked up so high that his head couldn't even tilt back any more and he still hadn't seen the very top. "This looks like something out of a scifi movie! The lost civilization of a mighty alien race!" Taylor face palmed, but she couldn't help but chuckle under her breath. Here Leo was free to be whoever he wanted to be, and he embraced weirdness and oddity. And she loved him for it.

Kibbon opened the door and he and the teens went through a series of security sweeps before they could finally get to their destination. Their loyalty had not yet been proven so Kibbon was taking a big risk here but he believed he would be an even bigger fool to turn down help and stamp out potential. He had fought long and hard in this war which knew no end. Tucker had to press a security combination on a door which led to a hallway and another door. By then, Leo was a little bored. Taylor was tired. Lolito was distracted by her black nail polish which was chipping off.

Kibbon stepped aside as the final door parted. Everyone looked up and around. Taylor was waiting for someone to say something. When she looked into the large room before her, she understood in an instant why her friends were speechless. "_Oh. My. Gosh_." The girl said in a low tone. Lolito gasped like a child in wonder. This world never ceased to amaze them.

"That is one _shiny_ jet." Leo whistled. "Impressive. On many levels."

"Is it yours?" Harley questioned Kibbon.

"It belongs to Danielle and I, yes." Kibbon explained. "We use it only when there's an emergency and we don't have any other choice. Like today." Kibbon walked towards it. He began to tell the workers in the room that he was ready to launch it. The workers scrambled to prepare the sleek black jet for launch. Taylor and the boys studied it intently. The sleek paint job was a nice touch.

For the first time in several hours she finally caught a glimpse of what she looked like. She touched her hair which had not been brushed in what felt like forever. She felt her flushed cheeks. Now with that…thing…strapped across her, she just looked silly. How could she ever be a hero like Kibbon was? The thought that she would only let them down horrified her. She didn't realize she was shaking a little until Harley put his hand on her shoulder. He lured her away from the distraction back to the main focus of attention which was Kibbon, all without saying a single word.

Harley stood at attention with his poker face on as Kibbon continued to spew out information regarding battles as he had been doing nonstop. Though, when Kibbon looked away, Harley winked at Taylor. She saw this and smiled. Somehow, with him and this unwavering strength she could sense he had, she felt she could handle this quest or at least begin to. "We can do this!" She whispered to Harley, and he gave a nod in return.

"So, the jet seats twelve comfortably." Kibbon explained as he gave a brief synopsis on its integral structure. "And it's not an ordinary jet. It's a—"

"_Ghost_ jet." The four teens finished Kibbon's sentence in unison.

Kibbon grinned. "Aha! You're catching on quickly." He walked up to the jet and opened the pilot's door. He looked at Leo. "I'll need someone to pilot while I fire the weapons. That's where you come in. But it's easy, and I'm sure anyone with a nerd level that's as high as yours would know that without a doubt."

Leo took in a deep breath. "_Me_?" Kibbon nodded. If he was going to teach the others more things, he needed to not be distracted by piloting worries. Only an idiot would let a teenager pilot one of these things. And an idiot Kibbon was. However, luck never left Kibbon's side in all his life. If it had, he would have been dead more than twenty times over. Blood rushed to Leo's head. His face was hot with the thrill of the thought of flight control. "Cool." That was all he could say as he took the pilot's chair.

Leo also put on the nearby headphones and then studied the control. He knew the first thing to do was work on relaxing and staying calm. He took a long exhale and began to fuel his excitement into focus. This was not only his shot for glory but it was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to him. He chuckled at how many times that record had been broken in just the past couple of days. And he loved it. This thrill was something he could live off of, if nothing else. At last, Leo was about to take up a role and become a part of this world he had come to love so much.


	19. Chapter 19: Crux Of War

**Chapter 19: Crux Of War**

Alek slammed the door to his bedroom and sat down on the floor in front of the door. Marisol had been only a few seconds too late. With sad eyes, she looked on, knowing that she could just phase in but that would only upset him further. Everyone had their role in this world and for the longest time Marisol had gone on believing hers was to deal with him.

Alek had always been a bit of a rebel, though he meant no harm to others. He hated all thoughts of anyone imposing their will on others and thus, he came to hate the war and the fact that his parents were such a big part of it. In times like these when it was just the three of them alone in the house, Toby innocently went about his business of playing but he wasn't entirely oblivious to what the other two were doing. He watched and listened, but from a distance.

Marisol bit her lip and sat there on the floor outside of Alek's bedroom. For the longest time things remained silent. Then at last, she found the words. "Things are panning out just like Ivan said, huh? Remember, you didn't think it would? I bet if dad were here, he…"

"I hate Ivan's visions and predictions. He has power, but does not use it to change the way things are." Alek interrupted. "And whatever you were going to say about your dad—don't. He's like the king of this place, and we're so far beneath him. We'll never get to live happy, carefree lives outside of this war because it's been woven into who we are."

"Yes, but, without it, we would lose a great part of our identity. Ivan knows that. Ivan has only ever done his duty. Don't you ever speak against him."

"I don't take orders from you, or from anyone." Alek spat. "As for my parents, the things they want me to do just happens to be what I want to do. For now."

Since Marisol was alone in the hallway now, she was on the verge of letting out tears. But she kept her voice steady for the sake of her pride in front of Alek. "Please…please give up on your idea of a rebellion against the war. I know you're brilliant, but, you'll only get yourself killed…and myself in the process. Because, you know I'll go all the way to stop you."

"Why do you think Ivan's never had any visions of either of us, huh? And yet he predicted that strangers would come into our lives. Of course, he did predict cadulan among them but you know his visions haven't always been on spot."

"Well that's up to interpretation."

"It's just got me thinking…maybe we don't have a future. Ever since I can remember, you've been trying to figure out what your purpose is in all of this and I'll tell you right now—we have to stop the war. Or else it will go on forever."

Marisol let out a small nervous laugh. It was a sad one, too. "Here we go again, having a conversation no normal children would have. But whatever, Alek. It doesn't matter. Soon the war will stop and I believe it because Ivan believes it. But I'll be with you till the end. And I think you already knew that." Alek sunk deeper to the point where he ended up entirely on his back on the floor. He sighed and stared up at the ceiling.

Meanwhile, Aiden would have liked to think his weekend would carry on like normal, but it didn't. Sure he shook Jarred off the subject of his missing siblings rather quickly, and they had enjoyed yesterday along with Raven. But Raven seemed distant the whole day. Aiden tried to ignore it but he knew something was bothering her because something was bothering him. Sometimes she almost seemed like she could read his mind, or at the very least, reflect the true feelings inside of him that he thought he could hide.

Unexpectedly, Aiden shut himself in his bedroom and did homework and research for school as well as studying. He was going to use this as the honest excuse to explain to Raven why he hadn't replied to her texts or calls. He kept telling himself that any minute now, the twins would walk in, or Harley would message him, or something…something would prove to Aiden that he had just overreacted and overanalyzed things as usual. But the twins having been acting strange lately definitely did not help their situation.

Back in the ghost zone, the high-tension mission continued as the teenagers learned along the way. The more Kibbon talked to Leo, the more he identified traits of a leader in him. Backed up by Harley's confidence and Lolito's willingness to help wherever needed, Taylor had never felt more secure in her life even though her life was technically at risk since the moment she left the Clevely house.

Kibbon turned to Lolito. "Allright, quick learner. You'll be helping me fire weapons. This has to be done manually because this jet's weapon systems were damaged in a skirmish a few weeks back and we haven't had a chance to repair it. So just follow me. You too, Harley." Kibbon walked Lolito over to the rear of the jet and started explaining to him where exactly the weapons launched to, along with giving a few other details regarding the mechanics of it. Lolito nodded, but Harley understood more than he did. Harley had an intellect that could put them all to shame, except perhaps Kibbon who was proving to be a bit of an "idiot genius". "You got all this?" Kibbon asked the boys.

Lolito nodded obediently and then went inside the jet and to the back of it. Harley knew he could back Lolito up if he forgot any of Kibbon's rambling as was likely, since Kibbon's mouth seemed to never stop running. The pressurization and depressurization of other things within the jet as well as the whole building also made it difficult to communicate. Harley found himself struggling to keep from distraction. Kibbon's ability to regurgitate information on whatever he was fueled with at the time could either be very annoying or very handy, and in this case, it might just save their lives.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead as he continued to able around almost frantically, Kibbon remembered the girl standing there with nothing to do. Taylor stared at him and made awkward eye contact as she crossed her fingers behind her back in the hopes that she wouldn't screw up whatever job he gave her. The last thing she wanted to do was screw up in front of this guy, as he was someone she was eager to please. Kibbon sighed and took a secondary pause to think. "I really don't have a job for you just yet." He confessed. "So just sit tight, princess."

Taylor scoffed. "Whatever." She followed Kibbon around as he shut the door and flipped on the lights. One look from him made her realize that the most helpful thing she could do right now was take a seat and she took one beside Leo. She watched him study the control panel and watch the switches intently. His eyes never stayed still and they kept darting all around as if it was possible to keep the concentration and focus to track all of these things at once. Taylor didn't understand what half those screens meant.

Taylor looked back and saw Lolito and Harley teaming up. Lolito might only be of average intelligence but he was very knowledgeable—once information got in his head, it stuck, and never got out. Harley's quick-thinking would be the icing on her cake. Taylor sunk low in her seat, believing everyone else had found their niche. She thought back…what usually happened to princesses in warzones? They were killed, or worse. Was there any place for a princess here? "Everybody buckled in?" Kibbon asked.

Taylor and Leo put their seatbelts on. Kibbon went to check on the boys in the back one last time. Taylor glanced at her brother and spoke quietly. "Anything I can do?" She waited a few beats before it dawned on her that he couldn't hear her at all because of those piloting headphones. He probably didn't even know she was there. "Ugh. I should have sat in the back…" Taylor slumped down in her chair. She put her hands on the cold silver handlebars of the seat. Autonomously, a shiver went up her back.

"Leo, we're all ready." Kibbon mentioned through the headgear he put on. "You can begin the countdown for the launch now. They're going to open the roof for you once you get close enough. And then you're going to land on the roof while I give you the directions for our destination. You got it?"

Leo nodded. His face turned red—not with embarrassment, but extreme stress sometimes made his blood feel like it was going to boil and explode. However, he did not break his train of thought at sudden discomfort. Kibbon needed him and he wasn't going to let him down. Leo believed that there was no way Kibbon could pilot AND keep track of whatever was going on in the back at the same time. At least not well. He almost wondered…if someone had assigned Kibbon this mission on purpose where he would have to use the broken jet…because someone wanted him to ask the teens for help. "Launching in 10…9…8…7…"

Taylor wondered why Leo could hear Kibbon but not her. And then she turned around in her seat and saw Kibbon was wearing those headphones too. In the back, Kibbon began re-wiring something on a control panel. In the back, Harley had quickly come to wonder the same thing Leo had—about why Kibbon was chosen for this mission. Harley made sure Lolito knew what he was doing and then headed to Kibbon. "Hey, by any chance, did someone specifically request you to take this mission, knowing you would need to bring this jet?"

Kibbon looked up and lifted his headphones ever so slightly as he swallowed hard. "Excuse me?"

"Who sent you to do this? Anyone? Whoever it is…they set you up big time. If you had gone into this alone, you would have been in trouble. It's a mess back there. There's no way you could keep the back end of this big silver monster under control while trying to keep its head up."

Kibbon raised an eyebrow. "I'm certain I could have managed. But, as a matter of fact, there was someone who requested me specifically. I can't say who. But it doesn't matter, since you don't know him."

Harley narrowed his eyebrows. "_Try me_." He replied cleverly. "If it's the person I think it is, then they know you have us, and they specifically wanted you to bring us. If it is in fact him, then he knows something about me that no one else here knows. Since I don't know him personally and neither does he me, this could only mean that he is a psychic Tossi, and one on your side. That narrows down the people of the world _considerably_."

Kibbon's eyes widened. "Just who…?"

"Torwenn Lestri. Better known by my parents as Wenn, he is what you could call a friend of a friend. They know Larrow, so they heard of Wenn. And they told me. You'd be surprised what I know." Harley took serious to a whole new level.

Kibbon pushed his glasses up. "No, it is not Wenn, but it is his son."

"Ah, Ivan. I know of him."

"What you just told me shows another side of you I'm surprised to see. Among humans, Ivan would be just another name of some random boy. But among cadulan, well, let's just say that pretty much any child who listens will hear his name. We all know of him because he is no ordinary son of a Tossi. Well, he was born an ordinary member of their race, but as their empire continues to fall, he could become a key point in the turning of this war and help it to finally end. If you know of him, then this must mean…"

"…_I'm not human_." Harley finished Kibbon's sentence. There was static then, and the engines flared. Harley had to return to assist Lolito and Kibbon had to carry on what he had been doing before he obtained that crucial information.

Taylor kept her head forward and her posture unnaturally straight in the hopes that Kibbon wouldn't notice she had put on headphones too and had heard their whole conversation. She gulped at the mention of this Ivan Lestri person and her blood pressure rose the more that they discussed him. Who was he? It wasn't like she could ask. Over the roar of the engines, Harley and Kibbon's talk should not have been overheard. But that last bit…about Harley not being human…that was enough to shake her whole world. She slowly and quietly put the headphones back where she had found them and thought hard about how she was going to process this.


	20. Chapter 20: The Virtues

**Chapter 20: The Virtues**

Harley and Lolito were instructed by Kibbon to briefly stop what they were doing and take seats in the back. It was best to be buckled in for takeoff. Then they could return from following the man's instructions. Harley swallowed hard, wondering just how Kibbon handled everything. His mind had to be racing, despite his strange composure. Harley regretted revealing to Kibbon that he was cadulan.

Kibbon had to be wondering what species Harley was and what that meant for them all. Harley was embarrassed to have let it slip out all because his powers were not of much use in this realm and Kibbon might not realize that. The jet had twelve seats plus the two piloting seats which Taylor and Leo occupied. Kibbon remained standing—a bold choice. Well he was a daring, valiant kind of guy after all. Harley couldn't wait to see what kind of fighting style Kibbon had, if they ever ran into that kind of issue, that is.

Taylor realized that for the jet to be so big from the outside, and then it must have _a lot_ of weapons hidden within its walls. She could only imagine what kind of firepower those guys in the back would have to manage. For now she tried to keep a clear head. She kept waiting for Kibbon to give her a specific job, but he didn't. While waiting, she imagined she could be the underdog. Yeah! But wait, _no way_.

Kibbon waffled back and forth but he eventually took a seat in the back and buckled in tight. He braced himself for the shock of launch. He leaned his head back on the headrest of the chair and then he relaxed his entire body. The countdown continued. Leo commanded the jet to lift off the ground. At first, the teen was a little wobbly with the controls. He feared the vehicle hitting some of the workers in the room. But they paid no attention at all except for when they began opening the roof, which was now. They expected him to take off properly, and he did, even if it wasn't completely perfect.

"Just take it up and out. Nice and easy now." Kibbon coached Leo through the headphones. When Taylor had the chance, she put hers back on. "Whenever I go on one of these missions, whatever I'm doing, wherever I end up…I always think of something to get me through it. I think of the constants in my life and in this world we live in; things that remain unaffected by time or by distance. These things help me realize that even when I mess up—because I will and I do every now and then—these things don't change. Things like truth, loyalty, friendship, family, bravery, dedication, honesty, hope, trust, and love. I know when you're younger you think your life is all about you but when you get older it's freeing to finally realize that the things you really need and desire in life are bigger than yourself, and that you can rely on yourself and your friends to get it."

Leo almost forgot to breathe. His own anxiety seemed to be choking off his air. He made a swift turn upwards. That was by no definition a graceful move. Everybody's heads bounced back onto the head rest suddenly. They all groaned in pain for the brief moment that it lasted. "Sorry!" Leo yelled back nervously. The jet began to fall…faster and faster. Leo began to panic because he couldn't figure out what was wrong. He didn't know what to do! He was just a kid! His head felt like it was going to burst. Salty tears escaped his eyes, yet still he did not close them. He did however regret accepting this challenge.

"Leo! _Take control_!" Kibbon yelled. "Get a grip! Focus! Remember what I told you!" He came racing over to help Leo with the controls, though the jet's odd maneuverings almost sent him crashing into things many times.

Leo took a fresh breath and tried to think for whatever shred of time in life he might have left. Leo thought of his loyalty to his father and siblings, and his dedication to his friends. He knew they relied on him with this, and he'd give everything not to let them down. He took the balancing stick in one hand and the accelerator in the other. He pushed on them together. In top speed—and with flying colors—the jet was finally out and safe.

Kibbon took a huge sigh of relief, patted Leo on the back, and then returned to his positon of instructing Harley and Lolito on how things worked. Taylor look back and saw the roof of the building close, leaving the jet plenty of space to land in a stylish fashion whenever they got back. Leo took a well-deserved sigh and leaned back coolly. He let his hands fall from the controls as it was time to take it easy now. He smiled at a job sorta well done.

Taylor gave him an approving smile. On the surface she looked happy but on the inside she yearned to be like him. She never had felt more alive than when she thought she might die. Kibbon made his way to the controls again. He started typing on one of the keyboards. A bunch of screens showed up on the monitor. Kibbon pulled up a MapFile with the info on the destination.

"Here it is: the realm of the dragons. The current leader is Prince Garth. He's one of our own, an old friend of mine and an important member of Team Phantom. In fact, he joined it before I did. The problem? We haven't heard from Garth in a long time. If the Tossi are attacking his kingdom, we must come to their aid. This jet is equipped with enough battle weapons to completely obliterate an entire army." Kibbon looked Leo dead in the eye. "Are you sure you're brave enough to continue with this mission, kid? Can you really do this? Because your panic back there sure scared us all."

Leo hesitated. He looked at the anxious eyes of Taylor. She was afraid, but he knew she believed in him. In that instant, Leo realized that whatever he decided, he'd have to live with the results and consequences for a very long time, perhaps the rest of his life. If all turned out well, he might end up gaining a greater understanding and maturity. "I'll do it." Leo decided. His voice was small and timid, but his words were the truth in his heart. It was time for him to become brave—starting _now_ and ending _never_. "I'll do it." He repeated, this time with a confidence Kibbon knew he couldn't shake.

The man patted him on the back again. "Good." Kibbon spent the next few minutes explaining to Leo about the dangers of the islands surrounding the medieval dragon realm. Leo understood. With each passing warning, Leo became less and less confident in himself, but he didn't let it show. Taylor just sat tight.

Harley and Lolito kept repeating in their minds everything Kibbon told her about these weapons. If either of them messed up, there would be no forgiving. Of course they were each armed with the shotgun-like ecto weapon, but that was useless in mass combat. Above all fears in Lolito's mind was the fear that he might not have the strength to carry through…that he might not be smart enough to remember it all. But that's what he had Harley for. Lolito was _not,_ by any means, a fighter. He would sooner shrivel up into a corner than face a possible conflict.

Yet Lolito dared to walk into a potential line of fire. "Harley, what was it you and Kibbon were talking about earlier?"

Harley huffed. "Dude…ugh. Whatever, there's no use hiding it anymore. I'm not human In fact, I'm mostly cadulan but not a hundred percent."

"So, you're a ghost?"

Harley face palmed. "Cadulan just means nonhuman. Cadulan aren't just ghosts and Tossi. There are a lot of crazy things out there but I'm something a bit more recognizable. The species' general name is listed in directories under the feminine name of mermaid, though I am a guy, so I like to say merman."

Lolito blinked. "Get outta town! No way."

Harley rolled his eyes. "I am, but, there are no large bodies of water in the ghost zone. Without that, my powers are all but useless. That's why I was embarrassed to bring it up." In the silence of the level travel through the air of the ghost zone, Kibbon could hear Harley easily since he had been keenly listening. Taylor was bored out of her mind so any talking had attracted her. At first she had a hard time wrapping her mind around Harley with a tail and awesome water power, but now with all the things she had seen, it didn't seem too out there.

Taylor sat bored in her seat all this time. She flipped her hair around, adjusted her shirt, filed her nails, and put on chapstick. By then it was just too much. Her impatience was slowly torturing her. Impulsively, she snapped around and interrupted Kibbon speaking to Leo. "What can I do? All this time I've been waiting and you haven't given me a job yet. I'm beginning to think it was better that I not come at all because I'm basically deadweight."

Kibbon stared at her, open mouthed, with a slight astonishment that she just couldn't wait until he was done talking to Leo. "Well, uh, okay. Um…that's because I've been saving a special job for you!" She raised an eyebrow because she did not believe him. And she shouldn't be expected to because he was just making it up now. "Don't get sassy with me, kid."

"You don't even know what I was going to say!"

"So? I don't need to." Kibbon retorted childishly. "Britney, you'll be in charge of hand-to-hand combat if we are forced into that sort of situation. Or if we are otherwise compromised by the enemy, or if I am unable to carry out my mission, you will be the one to take change. See, the boys all have their jobs now and they are tied down but you're my extra set of hands. I'll trust you to supervise and help where needed and plan out any attack moves that the boys can't think through."

Taylor nodded as if she appreciated this. Inwardly, she turned up her nose. Hah! Taylor? In charge? Taylor knew Kibbon really didn't think through a position for her or else he would have given her something _important_. Something she could do now. She wanted to be the hero _now_.

This was the big scene. All of this excitement and necessary precision made Taylor wonder just how destructively ruthless the Tossi were. The girl was afraid. She didn't have anything to hold onto except the handle of the chair. She clutched it with all she had, all her strength.

How could she ever be a leader? She was one among her girly friends at school but that was easy. That was nothing, because nothing was at stake. She decided to use Kibbon's method to calm herself down so she could focus and be listening and waiting. Everything important to her was interconnected. She thought about her family unit and all of her friends—new and old—and the uncertain future she could have dating Harley if they ever got out of this.

Was whatever they had really timeless? Because right now, making out was really the last thing she wanted to do. She cared about him in a closer way than friend but her feelings ran deeper than the superficial attraction she used to have for him. She began to think of her love for him as like familial love. Her brother, Leo, was concentrating on the flight. This was his big chance. He had to make this perfect. And he couldn't veer off the path Kibbon told him about.

The map was there on the screen and the highlighted parts made things easy. Even if technology here was weird, Leo couldn't deny it was advanced and therefore super sweet. Taylor squeezed the arm rests. The fabric was cold and hard and unsympathetic to her. It was some odd kind of fake leather. She looked out the window at the creepy world of ghosts. Its infinite potential sent a shiver up her spine and into her face. She swallowed.

As they neared the dragon realm, Taylor could just barely make out the distant island. She decided not to let this freaky world scare her. In all the madness, there was sure to be sanity emerging soon. Little did she know that their mission had only just begun. Things weren't going to be easy, but Taylor decided she would try to cope with it no matter what. After all, did she really have a choice.

Leo was learning how to divide his attention between the controls, the map, and the view. Seemingly, the path toward the dragon realm was clear. When at last he thought he had finally relaxed, all of a sudden, something hit the front windshield with a large SMACK! Leo right about had a heart attack. He stopped the controls. They were dead in the water, so to speak—just drifting. Taylor screamed and the boys ran up to the front for a closer look.

Kibbon gasped—not because he was afraid but only because the girl screamed. What now laid on the windshield was a sleeping young girl. She had blue skin and black pigtails and she was wearing a hat. She was chubby and she wore overalls which made her look younger than her actual age, whatever that was. Her eyes snapped open, and Kibbon jumped back, startled. The girl's eyes glowed green with furious rage.

Leo stood up and started to back away slowly. Taylor stood up and blocked the entrance. She shoved him towards the controls. "Don't you squeal out on us! _You_ have to fly this thing! You're the only one who can and we're all counting on you. What did you do to tick her off?"

Leo stood as far away from the front windshield as possible. "I-I can't fly anywhere with that creepy little girl sprawled across the windshield!" Leo was beginning to panic. "I didn't do anything. I didn't even see her until now!" The angry ghost girl phased herself through the window. Taylor and Leo screamed. "Kibboooooon!" Leo yelled. Taylor instinctively held onto Harley and he put an arm around her.

Kibbon pushed through the frightened teens. "Who are you? Why have you invaded our vehicle? What do you want?"

"I am Boxlunch—daughter of the Box Ghost and the Lunch Lady! I was just minding my own business when you guys had to ram your plane into my backside. And anyways, now I'm _really_ mad…" Boxlunch's hands glowed to match her less than satisfied mood. She was about ready to open fire on them without caring that this was a warzone. Satisfying her temper mattered more to her than the possibility of alerting the Tossi.

Leo shut his eyes tightly. Taylor was too afraid to close her eyes. Lolito stayed hidden in the back where nobody could see or hear him. Harley did not move but rather he just glared. Kibbon decided to have a backbone. He stepped into Boxlunch's line of fire. "Wait a minute now! Just _wait_ a minute!" Boxlunch lowered her glowing hands. "Boxlunch, we're sorry we bumped into you. But _please_ allow us to continue on our mission. It's urgent. I'm certain you've heard of Team Phantom. Well, I'm an official member and I'm leading my team here on a mission. You must let us pass."

The girl scoffed. "Likely story! Team Phantom, huh? Even better! You think you can do whatever you want just because you're pals with the savior of the ghost zone…but guess what? He's not here! So nobody cares! You and the rest of your team need to step down and stop being so high and mighty for a moment to realize that not every ghost wanted you guys in our realm in the first place. Maybe some of us just wanted to go around undisturbed. But then you had to come in here and…whatever…if you don't get off your high horse, then, someone like me has to come around and put you in your place." She grinned evilly.


	21. Chapter 21: Monsters And Heroes

**Chapter 21: Monsters And Heroes**

The angry youth known as Boxlunch readied her fists to open fire to quench her rage. In a matter no less than a second, Harley made a decision and charged in the way of the line of fire. With a fierce look that proved he would not back down, he sparred her using strength alone. She had an odd respect for a human who would dare to challenge her so she did not cheat and go intangible on him though she very well could have.

Kibbon signaled the other teens to back away slowly and let Harley do whatever he thought was right in his radical mind. If things got out of hand, Kibbon could always use his own powers but for now he let Harley fight. Harley and Boxlunch got rough and kicked and punched and threw each other across the jet. Harley landed at one point in a position that he thought was sure to leave a dent in his back but he got right back up.

In the end, it was Boxlunch who had Harley pinned. "I would lecture you and tell you what a fool you are, but I don't have the time. For now, I must destroy this vehicle!" She proceeded with an evil laugh that had the twins and Lolito trembling. Kibbon didn't like this one bit. Out of nowhere a sharp crystal shard flew at Boxlunch and narrowly skimmed her cheek, drawing a bit of blood. She gasped at the sudden cold drip of liquid running down her face.

The ghost's eyebrows narrowed again and she tossed Harley off to the side like he was a pile of dirt. Kibbon charged at Boxlunch, but since she was growing rather impatient, she didn't play fair. She phased in and out, and appeared quickly in other places, making it hard for Kibbon to shoot her. Whenever he did see her, his aim was dead on. He had definitely wrecked her outfit but her body would heal. Kibbon began to wonder how long this would go on, and then at last, he gave her a sudden kick which knocked the wind out of her.

Kibbon twisted Boxlunch's own limbs and used them to pin her down and then got on top of her. "You think you don't have time to waste here? Well neither do I! My team is going about on a dangerous mission for the sake of other people. You have no right to complain about your time because you only exist to better yourself instead of others. Every time I meet a ghost with your way of thinking, I question why Team Phantom came into the ghost zone in the first place." He huffed for air. "But the thing is, we have the knowledge and the power to combat the Tossi and…you don't!"

"What's it matter? They're never going to give up, and neither will us ghosts. The war will go on for eternity until one species becomes extinct."

"Well that sure looks like it's going to be the case, isn't it? But hopefully with Team Phantom's help, the Tossi will be convinced to retreat, gather up what they have left of their race, and go home. But if people like you keep interfering with our help, there is only going to be more death and more pain."

"That's the thing! We never _asked_ for your help!" Boxlunch screeched, so angry she was on the verge of tears. She had stopped trying to squirm away from him now because even if she went intangible, her limbs were all tangled up. "I'm tired of being helpless to do nothing but watch as my whole world gets destroyed!"

"Then do something about it." Kibbon said quietly. "We're sorry for messing up your home. I guess in a way, we invaded it too."

"You're…sorry?" Boxlunch raised her eyebrows. Her rage dissipated. Her glowing hands returned to normal. "Nobody's ever…apologized to me before." She looked down. "Is this some sort of trick?"

"No really. We're sorry." Kibbon looked back at Taylor and Leo. "Right, guys?"

All four of the teens nodded. They eyed Boxlunch, awaiting her approval. Boxlunch had to decide and fast. Were they being truthful? "Who. Are. You?" She asked them. "I've never before seen a group just wandering through the ghost zone unattended by ghosts—or Tossi. You're not Tossi, are you?" They shook their heads.

"We're working to make peace for everybody by going to visit the location an old friend of mine used to live. We're going to figure out if he's still there or not, and what's become of him." Kibbon spoke up. "Ever heard of Danny Phantom?"

Boxlunch nodded and her eyebrows narrowed a little. "He's the ghost that trapped us all here in the ghost zone. The halfa. One of four."

"Yes, that's true, but there's more to the story you probably haven't heard. Danny is a great man. His decision was completely selfless. He cut himself off from the rest of the world. He's in the same boat as everyone else, only he decided to take a stand for peace. Back when the Tossi first attacked the realm of the Far-Frozen, Danny came to the citizens' aid, putting his own life on the line like always. Danny also set up bases in other realms. We have homes and shelters that house hundreds of thousands of homeless ghosts. There are tons of us who follow in his footsteps under a large structured system. We go on missions of peace to make allies and defend life itself, which we hold in the highest regard."

"_My_ family is homeless." Boxlunch interrupted.

"Then we'd be glad to give them a home." Kibbon pointed Boxlunch in the direction of the base. "Go there with your family. Ask for Danielle. Tell her about your situation, and I promise, she'll work something out. If she's not there, ask for Tucker or Jasmine. They're my family, and they'd be glad to treat you as family as well."

There were a few minutes of silence where Boxlunch stared at Kibbon deciding whether or not to believe him. She evaluated what he spoke in her head. For most of her life, Boxlunch and her family acted based on current emotions, goals, or grudges of the past, but Kibbon acted on logic, truth, and reason. Kibbon's passion was rooted in things greater than himself and that was just what made it worth fighting for.

As for Boxlunch, she felt ashamed now that she couldn't see past her own pride. She wasn't about to change who she was, but she had at least started to understand which was more than could be said for most ghosts. That was all Kibbon could ever hope for. It was by looking into Kibbon's humble and earnest eyes that caused Boxlunch to make the final call. "If you continue on your current course, it's only fair that I warn you of the behemoth. It's a large animal that stands guard at the gates of the medieval realm. It's an evil mindless creature created for destruction in old wars—and it was recently resurrected by the Tossi after a long hibernation. I've only heard stories about it, so I don't want to get too close."

"Thank you for telling us." Kibbon replied as he got up off of the ghost girl and helped her straighten out her limbs. "But we're going in there anyway." Boxlunch nodded—it was closer to a bow, actually—and then phased out of the jet and left them in peace. Kibbon closed his eyes and said a silent prayer of relief. He turned back at the twins. They looked at each other in silence. They couldn't believe their eyes. Lolito's face was frozen in surprise. Harley was still angry and he wanted a rematch with Boxlunch so that he could kick her butt.

"We got lucky." Taylor stated to speak for them all.

"How do you know she won't just attack the base?" Leo commented. "I didn't think that was a good decision in sending her there, Kibbon. I dunno."

"You're right. I don't know if she will attack it or not for sure but I doubt she will. I've been in this kind of situation enough times and let's just say my friends believe I have this extra little power that I know how to get through to people. It's a little something I picked up from Danny. Not to mention the fact that that girl and her family really could use a home. Lots of ghosts have been rendered homeless because of the war and it's partially our fault that we haven't stopped the fighting yet. Sure we can defend ourselves against the Tossi, but that doesn't end the war. We're dealing with trouble on a much grander scale than you can begin to understand right now." Kibbon let them use a few moments to process what just happened before he spoke again. "Chop, chop, guys, we've no more time to waste. Back to your positions!"

Everybody went back to their stations—including Taylor who decided to arm herself with the weapons in the brigade closet. From head to toe, she was clad in grenades, booster guns, pocket launchers and even a knife. Yes, she was ready for any ghost that she could imagine. She could never be too safe! She envisioned herself stabbing that knife into the heart of the behemoth. Then all the guys would revere her and finally she would believe she was worth something.

Taylor might be the adoptive daughter of a billionaire but if she didn't make a name for herself in the metaphysical hall of heroes, than she wasn't worth anything at all. Leo focused once more on flying the jet. He was actually beginning to enjoy this. The adrenaline did not bother him so much anymore as he had accepted this to be his shtick. His current biggest worry was the letdown that soon this would all be over. Or at least, that's what he thought.

Lolito was on the verge of hyperventilating. A behemoth? The thought of fighting a gigantic monster struck fear into his eyes, heart and mind. People were counting on him and Harley but Lolito was no reckless hero. When Lolito let the doubt overcome him, it had nowhere to go but out. He let out one tear out of the corner of his eye. It rolled down his pale cheek leaving a dark trail of eyeliner and melted dreams. In that tear were all the expelled qualms of hesitation, failure and rejection. Now that part of her was gone, it left room for something else. Something that could only make him better.

"We're here." Kibbon announced flatly. "At last, now is the chance to do what we set out here for. We're looking for a man named Garth Lloyd—an old friend of mine. He is a ghost dragon transformer and he was the first of Team Phantom to officially move into the ghost zone when he took on the role of becoming the leader of the dragon realm. He was elected Prince. Since then, Team Phantom has not had much contact with him. Back then, he was still in love with a woman named Angelina Valentine. She's here in the ghost zone somewhere and is part of one of many groups affiliated with us, but she has been out of contact. It is unknown if she is in this dragon realm, or at some base fighting, or if she was met with a worse fate. The same goes for Garth. The location of Garth and Angelina is what our mission will hopefully affirm."

The teens each looked out a different window. Their adolescent minds didn't know what to do with what now stood only a few kilometers before them. They were speechless. Would they really have to fight that behemoth? With Kibbon on their side, it couldn't be too hard. What was left to do was to scramble about the jet arming themselves with the most powerful handheld weapons they could find. Harley wasted no time in arming himself. After that squabble with the ghost girl, he had a lot of pent up anger he wanted to release.

Taylor pulled her hair out of her way and into a ponytail and put on her most staid face. Leo looked out the window as he was putting on his weaponry. As grave as the situation was, he refused to run away from it. There was just something inside of him that compelled him to fight instead of run. "Everybody ready?" Kibbon inspected them. "I think you're good to go. Lolito, Leo, you will be sticking with me. That means that Harley, you and Taylor are together. Don't die on me, okay?"

The teens nodded and began to recite things in their head to keep their fear under control. Harley took Taylor's hand in his and that instantly calmed her down a bit. With him by her side, she felt like she could handle this. Taylor called into her mind all recollections of fighting she had ever seen. Sure she was going to mess up, but she determined she was not going to give up until she and Harley had defeated this thing. She wasn't going to let Kibbon down.

"This is probably going to get ugly really fast." The man said gravely. "Harley and Taylor, you're going in first. Leo, I don't want to land yet. Keep circling. Lolito, you'll fire weapons on my command. If worst comes to worst, we'll have to land and get down there but I'm hoping it won't come to that. Now, let's get in there and kick some ugly monster butt!"

Lolito didn't even bother to stammer out something of a complaint against manning the weapons himself. Harley was needed on the ground. Boxlunch did _not_ lie. The red-scaled behemoth was floating in front of the entrance to the medieval realm. He stood thirty feet tall and he breathed blue fire. The more that Taylor watched the behemoth, the more she worried for her life and those around her. "Come on, guys, you can do this!" Lolito skipped around the jet and became the morale for them, but that was only because he believed he didn't have to face the behemoth himself.

Taylor shook her head, trying to shake off all this extra adrenaline that her body wasn't used to. why was Kibbon so calm about this? Taylor still couldn't help but feel like they had been sent to their deaths. However, she took up all her armor and decided to fight her hardest anyways. Even if this was her last scene, she wouldn't give up without a fight.

"Ready weapons launch." Kibbon instructed Lolito. "Here we go." Simultaneously, the two of them let loose powerful torpedoes and fire weapons and other sorts like that. Unfortunately, the behemoth wailed and flailed about as it was unaffected and growing angrier by the moment. Kibbon grimaced. He didn't want to send Harley and Taylor down just yet.

"Uh, that didn't even stun it!" Leo said in a panic.

"Leo, focus on your position! Your job right now is to keep us in the air." Kibbon's heart was racing. "But you're right…as I feared…we're _not_ going to be able to take it down just from the air." He paused a moment. "This will be the distraction." He turned to Harley and Taylor. "You're going to have to sneak in earlier than I anticipated. You're going to distract, confuse, and weaken it with all that you've got because until it's been slayed, we'll never be able to get inside. Who knows how long it's been terrorizing this island? But this is where it ends. With you two. Are you ready?"

"Me?" Taylor's heart skipped a beat. "Um, yeah, Kibbon. I will do this." She put her goggles back on. He nodded. Obediently, she made her way to the exit. Harley was right behind her with his arm resting lightly on her back.

"This is going to take precision, teamwork, and trust in each other." Kibbon added. "Leo is going to fly near the edge of the island. Lolito and I are going to keep firing at the behemoth to distract him from you. You're just going to have to trust us not to hit you too."

Taylor just ignored that last statement as Harley kept nudging her towards the exit. "I'm going to have to jump, aren't I?" Taylor cringed like a baby. She had her hand on the door. Kibbon put up the shield around the door so that the rest of them wouldn't get sucked out. The door slid open. Harley silently grabbed her arm. She wasn't ready and would never be, but he was. He would take her down there whether she wanted to go or not. He tightened his grip.


	22. Chapter 22: The Dragon Prince

**Chapter 22: The Dragon Prince**

Taylor balled up her fists and then relaxed them. Harley's hand was on the small of her back. Without giving her time to rethink this over and over, Harley took a leap, and pulled her with him. Out the door. Out of the safety of the jet. He knew if it was left up to her, she would never go. Taylor screamed, but Harley pulled her close and made sure they both hand a good landing. Beneath the behemoth's floating feet they crawled. They smelled something ungodly.

Trying not to get noticed, the teenagers felt so small and insignificant. Could they really bring this creature to its knees? The monster paid no attention to Taylor and Harley, thank goodness. That is, until they began launching weapons. "Taylor! Remember what Kibbon told you!" Harley yelled. Taylor gave no audible reply but rather showed her understanding in action. The duo doubled up on their grenade launching as they ran around throwing all the firepower they had at the behemoth.

The behemoth's screech was deafening and his ghostly wail had enough power to literally blow them away a bit. Taylor was thrown back into the dirt, but she tumbled over, got up, shook herself off, and gave a running charge back to where she had stood before. She had lost count of hour many times this happened. It was not long before both Harley and Taylor ran out of explosives.

Now they had to rely on blaster power alone, and on sharp things. Taylor and Harley bad both grabbed knives, but Harley hadn't used hers yet. Taylor stabbed hers into the behemoth's foot and drew a bit of blood. The monster screamed, but that knife was in there good and deep and wasn't about to come out. It ended up kicking Taylor in the process, knocking her back. but she got up and stood at the ready again.

Harley wanted to get closer. He actually jumped onto the behemoth's body and used his martial arts skill to help in its weakening. Taylor launched blast after blast, but this monster's greyish greenish skin was really tough, dry, and thick. Taylor wondered if all this time they had only just been annoying it and had never really made a dent. Taylor was about to share this thought with Harley when suddenly the behemoth flung him high and into the kingdom which he and the others greatly desired to enter. But not like this.

"HARLEY!" Taylor screamed. The behemoth now laid eyes on her for the first time as her position was given away. In a panic she started firing several more blasts without even paying attention if they hit it or not. It flew closer and closer to her even though she backed up. She could see it was preparing to wail, and with enough gust of power, she could be thrown off the island. And that was exactly what happened.

Never before had Taylor screamed so loud than when she was in the free-fall fearing for the life which she had clearly not put to good use. Here she was at the end of it all, falling to infinity, and landing only in the end of all things—a pile of lost dreams and utter darkness. Her body froze as her back hit something cold and hard. It was the jet! Leo had taken a nose dive to save her! She turned around and held on tight as the big metal beast threw her back up onto the island.

Refreshed and ready to put her second chance into action, a roughed up and injured Taylor fired that blaster like there was no tomorrow. She heard a call from above and it was Kibbon through the open door. "Taylor! We can handle it! Get inside and find Harley!" He yelled down to her. Taylor got down on the ground and moved by way of army crawl. She breathed normally though she felt like just giving in and passing out. However, that would cost her the life which the guys so clearly had wanted to save.

With each forceful thrust, Taylor was nearing the gate. She was crawling on hands and knees. Her clothes were filthy and torn a bit. Her body was bruised and dirty, and she might have had a few cuts somewhere. Now that Harley and Taylor were no longer a liability. The jet could open fire as it had long intended to. Taylor was both impressed and scared at the true firepower of that thing. The forceful wind created by the behemoth squirming around blew into Taylor's face and gave her another layer of dirt all over. She felt completely disgusting, but none of that mattered now. She felt like a warrior.

At last, Taylor had reached the black metal gate. She put her hand on the cold dark spires and looked up to study it fast. It was tall; too tall to climb over. What if she couldn't get in? She took a chance and lifted the little latch with what little strength she had in those sore sticks she had for arms. The door wavered open. Taylor arose and took one step. She closed it next. The behemoth must be almost at its end to have not tried to stop her from getting into the place which it had been guarding so fervently.

Onward Taylor walked into this new realm—silent as the grave. With each step, she gained more confidence that the ones she left behind would survive. They just had to! And Harley had to be in here somewhere, alive. "Harley?" She called out, quiet at first. Not a soul was in sight. No one was around. The only sound she could hear was the light trod of her feet, the beating of her heart, and the wretched wailing of the monster which she was getting further and further away from. The sound of her heartbeat rivaled the behemoth's screams. She realized she was trembling just a little. "Harley?" She called again. No answer.

Taylor walked the dark grey stone path with care and caution. Each step was getting more painful than the last on this seemingly endless road. The adrenaline in her body was starting to dissipate as much as it could and allow the pain to catch up with her. Taylor at least felt peace in the fact that she had done all she could and even surpassed the limits which she thought had bound her. She was a new person now. She had never felt so strong than when she had exerted herself to the point of nearly collapsing.

The surrounding grass was rough and unmaintained. So far Taylor had not seen any sign of Harley. The trees of this place were…dying and dreadful. The chilly gust of air made Taylor shiver. As she walked through a little lifeless village, she noticed the most prominent part of the medieval realm—the Prince's castle. It was near the center. Taylor managed to persuade her tired feet to walk that way. In preparation for the unknown, she readied her booster gun and aimed it in front of her. If anyone or anything attacked her, she was ready.

Taylor studied the grand door to the old tattered castle. She knocked with her foot and clutched the gun preciously with both of her steady arms. "Hello? Anybody there?" She released a loud inquire. She squinted, fearing the behemoth might have heard. "That was stupid." She whispered aloud, realizing all her calls to Harley might have revealed to the monster or to anyone else that she got in.

Someone opened the door. He was tall. He had large muscles, a gaunt bony face, broad shoulders, but kind brown eyes. His hair was scruffy and brown with one streak of red like lightning. He was one of the strongest most capable men Taylor had ever seen. He must have been some sort of monumental warrior in his youth. He blinked. She blinked. Taylor pointed towards the direction in which she came from and grinned a cheesy nervous smile. "Heheh. HI!" She took a few cautious steps back.

"Lower your weapons." He ordered, yet it was not a harsh tone that he used but rather a benevolent one. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Behemoth. It was horrible." She started off. "A guy named Kibbon needed to come here, but he sent me instead. He had to stay behind and keep the behemoth distracted and told me I could sneak inside. Though I'm only here without him because my friend, er, partner, got flung into here. I'm looking for him. He's about yea high, with tan skin, a handsome face, and deep mesmerizing bluegreen eyes."

"_Flung_?" The man repeated. "By the behemoth?" Taylor nodded. "Well, I can't say you've answered by questions in any satisfaction but at least I know a bit more about your origin now. Kibbon Clevely is an honorable member of Team Phantom, as am I. Though his recruiting system is a bit questionable, you've nothing to fear here." Taylor nodded slowly, showing that the slight insult went right over her head. "See, the behemoth's been blocking us in for a while now and the dragon people don't want to face it. I knew I couldn't do it alone. If Team Phantom sent you, then you've gotta be the help we've been transmitting for. Come inside." The man let her into the castle. He closed the door gently. "What is your name?"

"Ta-Britney." She answered quickly.

"Well, I'm pleased to meet you Britney. My name is Garth Lloyd."

"Ooh, jackpot!" Taylor interrupted excitedly, remembering that Kibbon's main goals of the mission was to find this guy. He would be so proud when Taylor mentioned to him that she had found him! "Say, is a lady named Angelina around here too?" Taylor asked casually.

Garth turned around, suddenly not so calm. "Angelina? Angelina Valentine? What do you know about Angelina?" He interrogated.

"Nothing, really! Nothing other than Kibbon was looking for him as well as you."

Garth deflated and regained his cool demeanor. "Unfortunately I have not seen Angelina in several years. No she is not presently on this island. Only the dragon ghosts live here." They walked on. "I, like them, are quite content to live like hermits who are cut off from the on goings of the rest of this zone. The dragon people of this island continue in medieval traditions as they have been doing for centuries. They're not a big fan of change. So, naturally, they will hate Kibbon. He's here to get me out of here and back into Team Phantom's line of work. And you know what? The longer I stay here, the more I want to go."

Taylor grinned. "Yay. Um, I hate to interrupt again, but, have you seen Harley?"

"Yes, your partner is around here resting. I had some of my comrades show him to a room. Don't worry about it." Garth led her down a corridor to a hidden room. "Follow me and I can explain our situation to you. Then you can relay it to your team leader." Taylor hoped that Kibbon would be in here soon to speak with Garth for himself so that Taylor would not have to rely on her own memory. There were several other people in here. They were all eating. Immediately they stopped and stared at Taylor. She felt nervous.

It was not like them to be accepting of outsiders, but they trusted Garth and obeyed him no matter how strange the order. Over the past decade or two, he had gotten under their skin so to speak and earned their trust. It appeared that Harley was no longer resting but eating. "Harley!" Taylor cheered, straying from Garth and darting over to a table where the older teen sat. Garth sighed and followed her. She obviously had little respect for the Prince.

"Oh hey." Harley smiled slightly. Taylor put her hands on the table and stared into his eyes. "I know what you're thinking. And I was pretty seriously injured by being thrown into here. I landed flat on the grass and I probably shattered a thing or two. But before you freak out, the dragon people gave me some strengthening balm and now I'm fine."

"Well come on and finish eating! Hurry! Garth is going to tell me more about the dragon people and I want you to listen too!"

Harley rolled his eyes. "I've already heard some. You go on." He picked at his food and continued to eat. Garth met them at the table. Taylor sat down and grinned to show that she wasn't going anywhere.

Garth sighed. What little patience he had was waning. "I will repeat what I said to this boy. It will give me good practice for when I need to explain the situation in front of official Team Phantom members. The Tossi claimed our realm years ago when we accepted defeat in a battle as opposed to complete destruction of this island which we call home. This is what's left of our people. The rest fled. The Tossi awakened the powerful behemoth to keep us in here until the Tossi return to give it more orders."

"And let me guess, they want to kill you anyway?" Taylor predicted.

Garth shrugged. "Unknown. But they did come with electric Tossi in numbers far greater than those of us who were on this island. We're supposing they wanted to take us down and spread the word of our defeat as a sort of power play to instill fear in the other ghosts. Some of them think of the dragon ghost race as among the most powerful species variants on the islands. The behemoth is a guardian creature of war and destruction. The Tossi were somehow able to manipulate its weak mind by their psychic powers."

"I really hate these Tossi more and more every time I hear of them." Taylor stated, clenching her fist tightly.

"Now, now, I know Tossi have a bad name here but you can't forget that all Tossi are not evil and heartless. There are, after all, three families who have been fair allies to Team Phantom in times of need. This was not always the case, but as time went on they proved where they stood plain as day." Garth explained.

"Really? Who?" Taylor asked.

Garth's eyebrows narrowed, dumbfounded. "How can you say you do not know? Every ghost child should know their names…"

"We're not ghosts, sir." Harley replied. "We didn't grow up here. In fact, we've only been here a short while. There were four of us who came over into the ghost zone from the human realm when the portal was open briefly. We've discovered that one among us is the long-lost son of Jasmine and Tucker Foley. So the other three of us decided to stick around for a bit."

"You mean to say that Lolito Foley…"

"Lolito Baxter, along with Britney's brother, are in the jet with Kibbon. They're destroying the behemoth as we speak with advanced firepower which the Tossi knew you guys did not have." Harley explained. "I'm sure they'll be in here to meet you in no time. Please, continue with the story of what all you've told me."

"It is unknown when the Tossi will return, if ever." Garth frowned. "The dragon people grow their own crops, but soon we will run out of other supplies as we used to rely on trade with other islands. Now the people are growing restless and bored. Most of them want to keep to themselves and keep doing what they have been doing, but I and a few of my friends have been attempting to contact Team Phantom bases. I know we can't go on like this forever. I'll bet many think we've been destroyed because we've been out of contact. Our technology is limited and the enchantments over this island tend to block signals. It's a pleasant surprise to hear that Team Phantom got my signal at last."

"Yeah, I don't know exactly how that all works." Harley started. "But I do know that this whole mission was the idea of one person in particular. It's because of the way things fell into place that the four of us outsiders had to come along on this mission with Kibbon instead of a real, trained crew."

"Real? Trained? Knowing Kibbon, I'm sure he trained you real well. And with his crazy and obnoxious personality, I'm confident he's prepared you for just about anything you could hope to face here. Now, pray tell, who is it that was behind this whole mission, as implied?"

"Ivan Lestri." Harley answered.


	23. Chapter 23: Fall Of A Giant

**Here's the last chapter :D Please review! Thank you for all the reads. Hope you enjoyed this book. The two books that follow it will be up soon!**

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**Chapter 23: The Fall Of A Giant**

Garth actually half smiled at the mention of that name. "Ah, I should have known. The little weasel." He then turned serious again ever so quickly and Harley and Taylor continued to listen. Someone came by and took Harley's empty plate after he had finished eating. "There is still much to say. If we leave this island, then we are basically giving the Tossi more space to move in. And land is power." Garth paced. "I expected Team Phantom to send a small armada, but they sent Kibbon and you. I guess this was all Ivan's doing, and I realize it is important to trust him. At least Danny got to escape before the Tossi placed the behemoth here."

"Danny Phantom?" Taylor started. "Do you know where he is now?"

Garth shook his head sadly. In the wake of silence, a strong man came up to Garth. "Sir, the behemoth is weakening. Our scouts have secured the possibility that the jet might even defeat it. Team Phantom's technology certainly has improved. I've never seen so much firepower in my entire life." Garth paused a moment to consider the situation and all it involved. "We only have a short while since we don't know when they'll be back." Two other guys came and stood beside them. Harley and Taylor exchanged glances.

"I'm aware of that, thank you." Garth replied quickly. He led the others out in an unspoken march towards the front gate. Taylor and Harley followed Garth, unaware of just what they were getting into. The other dragon transformers were already armed. Here, outside, they might find freedom at last. But what would they do with it? One foolish act could alert the Tossi and cost them everything.

Taylor stood beside Garth and Harley stood on the other side of him. The man transformed into a dragon before their very eyes. She backed up. "Whoa." Taylor gasped in amazement. Several of the other men turned into dragons as well, preparing to fight if necessary. They had their medieval weapons on them too. Taylor noticed that all those who could transform into dragons had amulets—except for Garth. She wondered why that was. For one thing, it certainly meant he was special and one of a kind.

Everybody was carrying a weapon of some sort. This squadron of those ready to battle the behemoth consisted of less than twenty. Some carried only knives. Other had swords. Few had shields. The intensity flowed out of their nostrils as they breathed in and out. War was soon to begin. Garth figured that with all of them working together with the jet, they might be able to defeat the behemoth. They marched through the village, ignoring the deserted world around them. Eventually, the gate was in before them.

Taylor could hear the jet-fire attack on the behemoth. The behemoth roared and smacked its tail around. It tried to hit the jet, luckily each time the jet escaped in the nick of time. _Thank God for Leo_, Taylor thought. Taylor and Harley realized they had never seen the behemoth actually angry—before it was just ticked off. Now it was _mad_. Taylor gaped as the behemoth exhaled in the form of blue fire that singed everything in its path with the exception of the grand gate. Perhaps it was made out of some enchanted material.

The dragons leaped into the air, forgetting the fact that the odds were clearly against them. Two other men opened the gate and forced it to stay open. The behemoth turned around just in time to get showered with dragon fire. Swords and knives seethed through his skin. Warm, wet blood ushered its way to the ground as the throbbing skin of the behemoth pulsed furiously. Taylor and Harley were constantly on the move, firing their blasters from as many angles as possible.

Taylor's blue eyes lit up and shined brighter than ever before. The behemoth was falling! She and her friends were all still alive! She had overcome her fear. Taylor kept firing still, though her legs were slow beneath her. She knew her weapons were by far more sophisticated than the medieval citizens' own. Harley continued to fire as well, but handed his blasters to some of the other guys who chose to remain in their human form.

Ectoplasmic waste shot from their booster guns and covered the behemoth till he looked like nothing more than a green glob with a bad temper. Their aim was to get him so drenched in his own blood and ecto waste that he could not produce any more fire. But the real problem was the fire that had already been created, which would near the village soon. Thick smoke rose and Taylor found herself coughing after every breath she took. Her eyes were all watered up by the dirt in the air that it was hard to see, even with her protective goggles.

"Harley?" Taylor called, turning around to see that he was not there. "Harley!" she yelled. Searching around, her stinging eyes located Harley at last. He was running away from the fight and carefully dodging the areas with fire. Where was he headed? What was his plan? When Taylor identified with her eyes what could very possibly be a small fountain, she understood at last. She would finally be witness to his awesome power.

Harley returned with water. It wasn't much, but he had control. Using his power, he whipped it around and slashed through the heat of the fire as if he was cutting paper. It took several swipes but eventually every spot was extinguished. A few drops flew back onto Taylor's face though Harley was far away from her. But she did not avert her attention. She watched the power suck energy right out of him. When at last all the fire was gone and the behemoth was near death, Harley collapsed. Taylor immediately ran towards him.

The water fell from its controlled opposition all over the ground and landed in a splash. Tylor was mostly soaked. She inspected him as he laid there on his back across the wet muddy ground. "Harley…" She whispered. He only blinked in response. Then using his arm strength, he shoved her back up. She stood to her feet and continued firing, only this time, remaining in one spot. She would defend Harley for as long as he stayed there. But unfortunately, the blasters she had ran out of ammunition.

The behemoth reached out one of its taloned hands towards Taylor, and she panicked. The monster was trying to grab her and take her down with him. She attempted to drag Harley, but he was too heavy and too weak to move. He was barely hanging onto consciousness as it was. Taylor looked down at her belt. The only weapon she had left was an old knife. She looked every which way, trying to come up with a plan. The behemoth kept swiping and she knew one of these times, it would reach her.

From the air, Garth had seen her and he had an idea even if she didn't. "Go on, take a stab at it!" Garth yelled in a dragon-voiced growl. Before Taylor knew what was happening, he picked her up by his feet and threw her at the behemoth. She knew what she had to do. Was she afraid? Undoubtedly. Previously, she had fancied herself a fearless warrior. Now that she was actually in a warrior's position, she discovered that it is quite impossible to remain unafraid. But as long as she remembered that what she was fighting for was bigger than herself, she knew everything would be alright even if she messed this up.

Taylor had landed on the behemoth's gross body. She wobbled around as she tried to remain upright despite the monster's unpredictable movements. With her limbs slipping and sliding along its scaly wet skin, Taylor managed to shove her knife into the behemoth's stomach without falling off. For a moment, it writhed, but only in defeat and pain. Taylor slid off of the body in a sloppy manner and landed in a pile of slime on the ground. At last, the great giant had met his tragic end. The dragon men had all played their parts. Harley had been the underdog they needed, and the guys up in the jet were faithful allies.

Taylor stood up and wiped the slop off of her. She ran over to Harley who had finally managed to get to his feet. No more would the behemoth threaten the people of the medieval realm. The men whooped and hollered. It was not long before the jet landed right in the middle of the courtyard and silenced its engines for the time being. Kibbon, Leo and Lolito emerged. Garth changed back to his human form. The other dragons followed him in a race towards the jet. Garth gave Kibbon a congratulatory hug.

Harley and Taylor leaned on each other for support as they hobbled over to watch the two old friends meet. "Hello old buddy!" Kibbon greeted Garth. "It's been a while, but we still make a good team. You're quite the ally, and that's why I'm here. I figured you'd never leave this place but it would be worth a try to ask if you could come back with us and rejoin Team Phantom's forces. I don't see Angelina around, so I'll assume she's not here."

"I assume you've been faring well. Indeed, Angelina's whereabouts are a mystery to me as well." Garth mentioned sadly. "As for Team Phantom, I'm game, actually. I thought I could live out my life here in rut and routine where every day was the same, but then you barged in here with all of these kids and I realized maybe it is time for some change. How are your boys? Are you still watching over Danny's daughter? Have you heard anything from Danny?"

"The boys? The usual." Kibbon responded. "Yes, we're still taking care of Marisol. And Danny? I haven't heard from him in forever. I was almost hoping he'd still be here, but it seems I've missed him."

"I thank you for assisting us." Garth patted Kibbon on the shoulder. The four teenagers observing the two friends noted the size difference between the men and how Kibbon looked so pale and skinny next to Garth. "We would not have been able to defeat the behemoth without you. In fact we might have all died here if the armies of the Tossi returned with us like this."

"Armies?" Kibbon questioned. "The Tossi numbers have decreased immensely. In fact, if the war keeps up much longer, the Tossi species may face extinction. Even if they tried to send a group, I doubt they would be able to seriously take you on."

Garth proceeded to explain more about his people and their situation similar to how he did to Harley and Taylor. Taylor was just glad she wouldn't have to relay anything back to Kibbon after all. Lolito and Leo went into the jet and returned with medical kits to tend to the wounds of Harley and Taylor. Taylor looked down at all her scrapes, finally taking notice of just how many she had. Then she looked back up towards the men and pretended she hadn't seen her own gross wounds. Some of the dragon people came back with healing balm for her and Harley as well. As Taylor breathed in what smelled like menthol, she felt a bit of her strength come back.

"A lot of your people already took refuge in our shelters." Kibbon said to Garth. "I'm sure you'll be pleased to see they're all happy and well-fed. And there's always room for more. Once you tell them what's happened here, they may want to return to their original homes here." Kibbon sighed tiredly. "At last I feel a bit of the balance has been restored on our side. And to think, this was all the idea of that boy…"

"Ivan Lestri." Garth added. Kibbon looked up questioningly. "Oh, Harley told me. All I needed to hear was that one name to affirm the credibility of your adolescent squadron here. I don't know Ivan well but his reputation precedes him." Taylor listened in just as the others were finishing treating her wounds. She would give anything to learn more about this Ivan guy. "It is always to our benefit to act within the margins of Ivan's visions. His psychic episodes are perhaps more vivid than even Wenn's or Larrow's."

"Yes, yes, Ivan is becoming quite powerful." Kibbon's voice lowered. "And you know what this means. It's just what _they_ want. I wouldn't be surprised if it's been in their plans all along." Taylor wondered who this "they" was which Kibbon referred to, but Garth seemed to know. The men continued to talk and eventually got on a more friendly subject.

Garth smiled proudly. "Let me and a few of these men come with you on your jet. We'll get better weapons so we can defeat the Tossi when they attack. And they will attack." Taylor was taken aback by the idea that these guys could just pack up and leave their lives here within minutes. There was no time to make Team Phantom could definitely use them. "I'm certain this should be the next mission which you and your team go on, Kibbon: to find Danny. Let's just hope—"

"Let's hope for the best." Kibbon finished. They nodded to each other and then boarded along with the other men who had grabbed what little things they had to take with them—mostly weapons. The jet's interior wasn't exactly pleasant due to the whole fight with Boxlunch, but that didn't seem to bother the men at all. The four teens boarded. Taylor waved goodbye to the medieval island and would be forever grateful to this place for having shaped her character in time of need.

"Well, we made it." Kibbon addressed everyone once they were all settled in their seats. He turned to Leo. "Wanna take us home?"

"You bet!" Leo jumped up and reassumed the pilot's seat with sparking eyes. With Kibbon's guidance, they would make it back safely to where they were supposed to be. Taylor wondered if she should ask someone about Ivan, but the men all seemed preoccupied and Lolito was definitely chatting them up. Taylor leaned against the window. The cold glass felt good on her warm cheek and she closed her eyes for just a bit. After all that she had done today, she felt like she finally deserved rest.

Taylor didn't wake up again until late at night right after a meal at the Clevely home. Alek definitely seemed to be enjoying the medieval warlords, especially Garth. Taylor was a bit flustered as Marisol popped up right in front of her on the couch and got into her face as if to inspect her. Taylor sat up. "Can I help you?" She asked the younger girl.

"Hmmmm…" Marisol mused. "You have definitely changed. And so has the balance of power in the ghost zone. It's only a slight shift, but still. You've unlocked a set of allies for Team Phantom and you've become our allies as well. If the four of you had never come through that portal and into our lives, it's only logical that Kibbon might have forced his sons and myself to assist him in this mission and we would have been one man short. The plan would have failed ultimately. But it worked out so impossibly well against all odds, which means that this can only be the work of one—Ivan Lestri. He's changed you already, and you don't even know him." Marisol backed off, leaving Taylor dumbfounded. "That is all. Goodnight." The child waved and headed to her bedroom to sleep.

Taylor looked at her brother, Harley, Lolito, and Kibbon who were all in different areas of the house. Taylor had a feeling they would be here for a long while. And she also knew she kind of liked that idea. She stood up in effort to grab some snack before going to sleep herself. She was pulled into a hug by none other than Danielle. "I heard you did great. I'm proud of you, you know." Taylor smiled as Danielle let go of her.

Taylor wished she had a family like Kibbon and Danielle. Their kids didn't know how lucky they were. Whenever Taylor felt that emptiness and longing inside of her for a younger and more complete family than Vlad back home, Taylor knew now that she could think of virtues and principles greater than herself to help her get through anything and remind herself that there were good things in her world that didn't change with time.

**The End **


End file.
